Pirates starter Joe Musgrove had surgery Friday to repair his abdominal wall, a procedure that requires six weeks of recovery, and is expected to be on or close to schedule for the start of spring training, the club announced.
The 25-year-old right-hander was shut down for the season Sept. 22 due to the abdominal strain and a stress reaction on the front of his pelvic bone, forcing him to miss his final two scheduled starts. He could not pinpoint when the injury occurred, though he admitted it had been bothering him since his final start before the All-Star break.
Musgrove, acquired from the Astros in the Gerrit Cole trade last January, missed time this season on three separate occasions, two delaying his Pirates debut until May 25. He finished with a 4.06 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 19 starts, including an ugly final two outings. Musgrove allowed nine runs in 12 innings against the Cardinals and Royals before he was shut down.
The team's medical staff initially recommended six weeks of rest to provide adequate time for healing, however, the decision was made for him to undergo surgery, which was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Craig Smith. Doing so now should allow enough time for him to be ready when pitchers and catchers report to Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., positioning him to pitch from front to finish in spring training.
That's something Musgrove was unable to do last February after experiencing right shoulder discomfort prior to his first scheduled live batting practice session. At the time, he indicated that his workload the previous season — when he pitched out of the Astros' bullpen during their World Series run — could be the reason behind the injury.
Musgrove returned to make three Grapefruit League starts, only to encounter a setback during a minor-league game at Pirate City during the first weekend of the regular season. He impressed upon debuting May 25, however, the same weaknesses that plagued him in Houston followed him to Pittsburgh. Musgrove pounded the strike zone with his fastball, but inconsistent command got him hit hard at times. He allowed at least five earned runs in five starts and four runs in two others.
But Musgrove did prove capable of pitching in the rotation, something he wasn't able to do in Houston. He pitched through the sixth inning in nine of his final 10 starts and finished the season with 100 strikeouts to 23 walks. Musgrove posted a 2.12 ERA over five starts from July 24 to Aug. 18, only to post a 6.35 ERA over his final five starts.
Though Musgrove won't be asked to lead the rotation in 2019, he's a key cog in what should be the strength of the roster, joining Jameson Taillon, Trevor Williams, Chris Archer and Ivan Nova.
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