Musgrove wraps spring; Suarez closing in on 9th-inning duty

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The worst kept secret in Padres camp: Joe Musgrove is expected to start the team's home opener against the Braves on April 14.

Musgrove finished an up-and-down spring with 4 1/3 innings on Saturday night, allowing five runs on eight hits while striking out four in the Padres’ 6-3 loss to the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. His next start will almost certainly come in the Padres' third game of the regular season, next Saturday night against Arizona.

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Yu Darvish has been tabbed for the opener at Chase Field on Thursday. Musgrove has followed Darvish all spring. But pushing him back by one place in the rotation would accomplish two things:

First, Darvish and Musgrove are the only two fully built-up starting pitchers in camp. It only makes sense to split them up, to limit the wear on the bullpen. Second, Melvin said he was looking to reward Musgrove for his excellent 2021 season, and this would put him in line to pitch the home opener at Petco Park.

"That would be great," said Musgrove, an El Cajon native and a childhood Padres fan. "That's a kid's dream, throwing in your hometown in your home opener. There's a lot of hype in San Diego now for baseball, so I know that stadium is going to be packed. It's going to be loud. To be the guy that gets the ball on that day is pretty special."

Those plans haven't been finalized, with the Padres waiting to set their rotation until after Mike Clevinger and MacKenzie Gore pitch on Sunday. But Melvin certainly seems on board with the concept.

“I don't see why not, but we'll make our decisions [later]," Melvin said. "That's the one I've wanted for him all along. You talk about a reward for a San Diego guy."

Closing in on a closer?
Right-hander Robert Suarez pitched a perfect eighth inning as he continues to stake his claim for the Padres' closer role. At this point, Suarez has to be considered the favorite for the job, as he has posted a 2.25 ERA with seven strikeouts across four innings this spring.

"He's going to be a big piece for us," Melvin said. "Where it fits in, I'm not 100% sure yet. I love the fact that he's used to closing and that's what he's done. If that's the case for him, we'll have all the confidence in the world."

The Padres signed Suarez to a one-year deal in November after he spent the previous five seasons in Japan. His 2021 season was a particularly dominant one. He notched a 1.16 ERA, while walking just eight of the 229 batters he faced without allowing a single home run.

"It's real stuff," Melvin said. "Some uncertainty when we signed him, and then you get to see him in real time -- there's a lot to like."