Joe Musgrove was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against the Brewers and won't pitch again this season after he was diagnosed with a stress reaction on the front of his pelvic bone, the Pirates announced Saturday night.
The right-handed starter was also diagnosed with an abdominal wall strain and the injuries will require six weeks of rest, allowing Musgrove to begin his normal offseason workouts on time. Right-hander Nick Kingham will start the Pirates' series finale Sunday against the Brewers and Musgrove's other scheduled start, Friday in Cincinnati.
Musgrove, 25, made 19 starts in his first season with the team and was twice placed on the disabled list, the first of which prevented him from making his first start until May 25. He told reporters following the Pirates' 3-0 win Saturday night that he first experienced the discomfort in his final start before the All-Star break and has been pitching through the pain ever since.
"My last start before the All-Star break is kind of when I started feeling this," he said. "Got some pills in me, some medicine to try to take advantage of the rest we had over the break. ... Over the course of the last two months it’s kind of gotten progressively worse. With two starts left to go in the season, I don’t feel like I’m at the point where I can’t go out and pitch, but it is bothering me. It is affecting my delivery a little bit."
Musgrove pitched at least six innings in 10 of his last 11 starts, however, he allowed nine combined runs over his last two starts and posted a 6.35 ERA over his final six starts. He finished the season with 100 strikeouts to 23 walks and a 1.18 WHIP in 115 1/3 innings.
The former first-round draft pick was acquired along with Colin Moran, Michael Feliz and Jason Martin in the Gerrit Cole trade this past January. Musgrove pitched in the Astros' bullpen during their World Series run a year ago after he was removed from their starting rotation. He had 6.12 ERA and 1.51 WHIP in 15 starts last season.
The Pirates chose to use him in their rotation this season, but he suffered a shoulder injury when warming up in the bullpen prior to his first scheduled live batting practice at Pirate City in January. That delayed his Pirates debut until later in spring training, and he was unable to make his first scheduled start in the regular season because of a recurrence of right shoulder discomfort.
Musgrove was placed on the disabled list again in July with a right index finger infection.
"I think now's the time we need to really stop and give myself the proper amount of time to allow myself to get ready for next year," Musgrove said. "If we were in different circumstances where we had a chance at the playoffs or we were in the race I’d be out there pitching tomorrow and it’d be a different story. I think if you’re looking out for next season and what we have in our minds to accomplish next year i think this is the right move to make."
