The San Diego Padres received encouraging news on first baseman Luis Arraez, with spring training ready to begin soon. Arraez underwent surgery to repair a ruptured ligament in his thumb. He wasn’t able to swing a bat.
Arraez is healthy and ready to play, but while preparations for the upcoming season continue, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell wrote.
“It affected me a lot because I use my hands a lot,” Arraez told me. “I stay inside out. But I was unable to use it last year. This year, I can’t feel anything in my thumb. Good sign. I believe the pitchers are having a lot of trouble this year.”
Prior to signing with the Padres, Arraez was a prominent topic of discussion in several rumors. However, he does not devote much of his time to this.
“I don’t pay attention to that,” Arraez replied. “They can speak about trade, but I am still here. I’ve got this lovely uniform. I feel good here. I’m here to play baseball and try to win the World Series.
Padres manager Mike Shildt is enthusiastic about the bat that Arraez provides to the lineup.
“How he won a batting title basically without a thumb for the last six weeks was beyond impressive,” according to Shildt. “To compete with that kind of physical illness and yet lead us to the playoffs is quite commendable. Lots much respect. He no longer appears to be ill. Keep an eye out.
Joe Musgrove is motivated ahead of the 2025 season
Starting San Diego Padres RHP Joe Musgrove is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and is not anticipated to be ready until midseason, but he is determined to help the team when he returns, even if it means transferring to the bullpen.
“I’ll go play first if I have to,” Musgrove remarked, smiling. “Whatever they need, I’d love to be out there. Obviously, it’s selfish of me to force myself into a game if I don’t feel prepared, so I’ll be completely honest with them. I’m not going to hurt the team by going out there if I’m not ready, sharp, or prepared.”
Musgrove has been managing his rehabilitation as carefully as possible to avoid reinjury.
“I’ve been so careful and so smart about this thing that, like, I’m not gonna let myself do something stupid,” Musgrove told the reporter. “I’ve toed the line of, like, teasing a couple things and just seeing where it’s at, just to, like, have peace of mind and know where I’m at. And everything went quite well. I know I’m a month and a half away from really getting this thing rolling, and I haven’t experienced any setbacks yet. So the last thing I want to do is disturb the recuperation process.
