Joe Musgrove suffers broken toe, marking a devastating hit to the San Diego Padres rotation

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove has suffered a broken toe. Reports are emerging that the 30-year old right-hander suffered the injury during a weight room training session on February 27th.

The injury will put Musgrove out for an indefinite period, causing a major blow to the viability of the Padres' pitching rotation. The Padres energized their fans after making it to the NLCS last season, their first full-season playoff appearance since 2006.

"Padres' Joe Musgrove is out after sustaining a toe fracture in the weight room yesterday, per @Dennistlin" - @ Fox Sports: MLB

Musgrove joined the team prior to the 2021 season and has brought his career to the next level ever since. In his two seasons on the Padres, he has compiled a record of 21-16 with an ERA of 3.05.

Along with teammate Yu Darvish, Musgrove made a team-best 30 starts last season. His single biggest contribution to his team came in the NL Wild Card series against the New York Mets. In Game 3 of the series, he pitched 7 shutout innings and struck out 5 as the Padres completed the sweep with a 6-0 win.

"Joe Musgrove with a little gesture to the Mets dugout!" - @ Talkin' Baseball

The San Diego Padres are being held up as one of the most exciting teams heading into the 2023 season. They have made significant investments in their offense, signing shortstop Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year deal worth $280 million.

Additionally, the team re-signed their third baseman Manny Machado, who hit 32 home runs and 102 RBIs last season en route to being named the NL MVP runner-up. Fernando Tatis Jr., the 2021 NL home run champ, is also set to return from an 80-game suspension early in the season.

Joe Musgrove was seen as a bulwark against the pitching skills of the Padres' arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers were the best pitching team in baseball last season.

Many have pointed out that matching the Dodgers on the mound is the only way that the Padres can snap the Dodgers' 10-year NL West title streak.

Joe Musgrove's injury will damage the longevity of the Padres

Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove were the only Padres pitchers who surpassed the 150-inning mark in 2022. With his indefinite absence, the team will need to demand more out of starters like Blake Snell, Mike Clevinger, and Nick Martinez.

At this point, the team can only hope that this devastating early-season hit will not cause them to lose critical ground as the team continues to push for their first-ever World Series.