The San Diego Padres have two star pitchers working their way back from long-term injuries in Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta.According to Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller, one is tracking towards a return faster than the other.Preller told 97.3 The Fan that he expects Pivetta to return to the active roster in the near future as the 33-year-old continues to work back from a right elbow flexor strain that has kept him out since mid-April.AJ Preller joined @BenAndWoods to discuss when Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta could potentially join the Padres:"Nick is feeling good. He'll be at Petco this weekend and he could be on the active roster sooner rather than later." pic.twitter.com/tp2VsdGMPK— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) September 4, 2026"He's been able to clear all those hurdles and he's feeling good," Preller said on Friday. "He'll be at Petco this weekend and he could be on the active roster sooner rather than later."Pivetta's reintroduction to the Padres' starting rotation could provide a major boost as the season nears its conclusion. Pivetta held a team-low 2.87 ERA for the Padres last season, sporting a 13-5 record across 31 starts.Pivetta has progressed well in Triple-A El Paso, working through 4.1 scoreless innings on Sunday night while allowing just two hits and one walk. His progress has separated him from Musgrove, who has continued to struggle to recover after each rehab start."With Joe, it's just like his ability to bounce back and feel like he can do what he needs to do in between starts," Preller said. "He just hasn't been able to get over that hump so far."Nick Pivetta today4.1 IP, 0 ER, 7 Ks, 1 BB, 2 H, Got up to 64 pitches. 4S was at 92.6 mph which is down 1.5 mph from his avg. Command was good though. Thought he was cooked tbh so this was an encouraging outing. pic.twitter.com/5HutyDrXWX— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) August 31, 2026Musgrove is on the verge of missing his second straight full season if he is unable to return this year. The 33-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery following the 2024 season and has experienced a series of setbacks that have prevented him from returning.If healthy, the Padres could get a pitcher whose first three seasons in San Diego saw him consistently hold an ERA hovering around 3.00. Given the recent updates from Preller, the likelihood of Musgrove returning to such form is, unfortunately, low.Just 22 games remain in the regular season as the Padres fight for a spot in the National League wild-card race. Sitting a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Padres are far from a sure thing to make the playoffs. If they do, however, having a healthy Pivetta at their disposal could bolster a starting rotation that has struggled at times this season.But still, as evidenced by Preller's final comments on Pivetta and Musgrove, several questions remain unanswered."From a build-up standpoint, they're at a point where they're ready," Preller said. "It's just a matter of do we feel like they're better than the guys on our current roster? Do they feel like they can pitch at the level that we're used to them pitching at? And how do they feel about their ability to bounce back and help the team and not just come back and force their way onto the roster?"Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow