BREAKING: Padres’ Joe Musgrove Makes Major Announcement
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove has a reason to celebrate off the field! Over the weekend, Musgrove was tagged in an Instagram post showing him proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Arica Christiansen.
The heartwarming photo captured the moment on a boat, with Musgrove down on one knee holding the ring in his right hand, while Christiansen bent over with her hands on his cheeks. The couple received a flood of congratulatory messages from teammates and friends. Rookie Jackson Merrill enthusiastically commented, “LFGGGG,” while Padres pitcher Michael King added, “Let’s goooo!! Congrats.” Haeley Snell, wife of former Padres ace Blake Snell, shared, “Omg!! So happy for you guys,” and Merrill’s girlfriend Sammie Quinn echoed, “Omg!! Big congrats yay!! So happy for you guys.”
As Musgrove begins this exciting new chapter in his personal life, he also faces challenges in his professional career. The Padres are actively searching for a replacement in their starting rotation for the 2025 season, as Musgrove will miss the year recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is under contract with San Diego through 2027.
Musgrove’s 2024 season was marred by injuries, particularly issues with his right elbow. Despite these setbacks, he made 19 starts, recording a 3.88 ERA (106 ERA+) and a 4.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His contributions added an estimated 1.7 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball Reference. The injury that led to his surgery occurred during the Padres’ Wild Card Series victory over the Atlanta Braves on October 2, when Musgrove left the game in the fourth inning after shaking his pitching arm.
Initial UCL tests were inconclusive, but further evaluation revealed more significant damage. Musgrove later admitted he’d felt discomfort leading up to the start but had tried to push through. “From pitch one, it was tight,” Musgrove shared. “I thought I could get through the outing and maybe feel better as we went, but it just didn’t work out.”
Catcher Kyle Higashioka noticed a concerning drop in velocity and called for assistance from the dugout. Musgrove explained, “I was barely getting the ball to the plate. My velo had dropped. Stuff just didn’t look right. I was one out away from escaping the inning, but I just couldn’t get through it.”
While Musgrove faces a long recovery, his engagement brings a bright spot during this challenging time.