SUAREZ APPEALING HIS SUSPENSION
The Padres had Robert Suarez available out of the bullpen Friday night to start a three-game series against the Brewers.
The 32-year-old reliever is appealing the 10-game suspension Major League Baseball handed down Friday. Suarez was ejected before the top of the eighth inning Wednesday at Petco Park after umpires performed a foreign substance check, as they do on relievers as their either enter or exit an inning.
“It’s just defending myself in terms that I didn’t use any single foreign substance,” Suarez said of his decision to appeal the suspension. “… My point is, I wasn’t using anything illegal. They contend that it was something. But from my point of view from what I did, nothing was wrong.”
Crew chief Todd Tichenor said Wednesday that Suarez had an “(exorbitant) amount of sticky stuff ” on his left wrist.
Suarez contended after the game that he’d only applied sunscreen, as he does during day games.
A suspension would take a leg out from under the Padres as they pursue the NL’s last wild-card spot as they would be without their top setup man and would not be allowed to replace him on the roster.
Appeals must be heard within 10 days of the date of appeal. There is no timeline for a decision thereafter. There is potential for the matter to be resolved before the appeal if both sides reach an agreement on terms. Suarez said he did not have any information on when the appeal would be heard.
“My mentality is strong,” Suarez said through interpreter Pedro Gutiérrez. “I am just trying to help out the team in any way I can. And I’m lucky to be here and helping our team currently.”
Suarez is the fourth pitcher this year to receive a foreign substance suspension. Domingo Germán, Drew Smith and Max Scherzer all chose not to appeal. There were no foreign substance suspensions in 2022. In 2021, Héctor Santiago (Seattle) and Caleb Smith (Arizona) both appealed, but their suspensions were upheld.
A postseason hero a year ago, Suarez has a 4.73 ERA in 131⁄3 innings in the first year of a five-year, $46 million deal and had already missed a large chunk of the season to an elbow injury.
“It is just about allowing this due process to play out,” Suarez said. “... Just let it play out. And once that decision comes out, we’ll take it from there.”
The Padres went into Milwaukee sitting six games under .500 and six games out of the last wild-card spot, currently owned by the Diamondbacks.
Musgrove begins road back
Joe Musgrove is attacking the next two weeks as if it matters.
Because it might.
So on Friday he began what is expected to be a twoweek progression of playing catch. The plan is to build up his shoulder strength, which would lead to getting back on a mound with the hope he pitches in a game late in September.
But if the Padres’ sixgame deficit in the race for the National League’s final playoff spot gets much larger before he is ready to throw off a mound, then Musgrove will be shut down for good in 2023.
“It dictates a lot based on where we’re at in the process,” Musgrove said. “There’s no need for me to be rushing and pushing things back if we’re out of this thing. But I have full confidence that we’re going to be in it, so these first two weeks are going to be important in just laying down the foundation work and being able to open up from there. … It’s difficult knowing that there’s a chance I might not touch a mound again this year. But every part of me mentally and physically is preparing to be able to get at least one more (start) in the regular season and then be strong for the playoffs.”
Musgrove has not pitched since shutting out the Rangers over six innings on July 28. He was scratched from his Aug. 2 start in Colorado, and an MRI the next day revealed no structural damage but an amount of inflammation in the shoulder capsule that prompted team doctors to recommend at least three weeks of rest.
Musgrove threw weighted balls against a wall on Wednesday. Friday was his first time playing catch, which he did for 30 throws at approximately 70 feet. “It’s the best day I’ve had in a while,” Musgrove said, flashing a big smile as he did. “It’s been a lot of long monotonous repetitive days, but I feel really good with where I’m at. Even today with low intensity, the way the lower half was moving, the way my arm is feeling, everything in the whole body just feels fresh. It’s exciting.”
The plan is for him to throw multiple days in a row between rest and gradually build the distance of his throwing to 100 or so feet. He will likely undergo another MRI when the team returns to San Diego next week.
“I’m going to gain a lot of my strength and range of motion through the actual throwing progressions,” Musgrove said. “So just being patient with it, trying to manage the intensity and try to stay on track for this first week-and-a-half to two weeks of throwing and then be able to cut it open and open up a little bit. … There’s the initial phase of getting the throwing started. It can’t change, regardless of where we’re at or how I feel. I have to just give this first two weeks the time that (the shoulder) needs.”