Padres All-Star pitcher sidelined with broken toe after weightlifting accident

The San Diego Padres will be without All-Star pitcher Joe Musgrove for at least two weeks after he broke a toe in a weight room accident Monday, manager Bob Melvin confirmed.  

The right-handed pitcher injured himself when he dropped a kettlebell on his toe, Melvin said, adding it’s difficult to predict his return date. 

“It is tough to forecast when you’re talking about a broken toe,” he said Tuesday. “It will be about how it heals and certainly if it is a pain tolerance thing, Joe would be one of those guys who would be sooner than later.”

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Musgrove, 30, went 10-7 with a 2.93 ERA last season and is starting a $100 million, five-year contract this season. The more time he’s sidelined, the longer it will take for him to get back on track, Melvin cautioned. 

“He is not starting over. But the longer you go, the more it gets closer to starting over,” Melvin said. “Joe is a guy who keeps himself in really good shape.”

The Padres open their season March 30 against Colorado. Yu Darvish and Nick Martinez will be the likely options for a starter in Musgrove’s absence. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.