MWL notes: Astros' Musgrove turns the page

This is the way it was supposed to be: Joe Musgrove, a supplemental first-round selection (46th overall) in the 2011 Draft, overpowering the competition.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander is off to a 3-1 start with the Quad Cities River Bandits. Now 22, he owns a brilliant 0.87 ERA, striking out 20 and walking only one in 20 2/3 innings.

But an arduous journey kept Musgrove in short-season leagues for the first four years of his pro career. Injuries took a toll on Musgrove, who was drafted by the Blue Jays and then traded to the Astros in 2012. Expectations became burdens, not goals. Doubt loomed.

"Being a first-rounder in 2011, I'm obviously not where I should be, or where people expected me to be," Musgrove said. "It bothered me for a while. I felt like I let down myself, my family. I felt like I wasn't giving the Blue Jays or Astros what they paid for, what they expected."

In October, Musgrove underwent reconstructive collar-bone surgery. During his rehab, he built up his body and his resolve.

"I did a lot of thinking, and I realized everyone's book is written a different way," Musgrove said. "Some people's books are 10 pages, and some are 10 chapters. I just have a few extra pages in my book.

"I battled injuries for a while. I hope I have those out of the way. I learned a lot from the injuries. I learned how to take care of my body better, and how to maintain myself throughout a season, how to pace myself. I learned a lot about my body. I wouldn't have planned it this way, but I also wouldn't change it for anything."

Having endured the hottest fires of adversity, Musgrove has forged a steely demeanor that has him displaying the Major League talent that earned him a first-round selection.

"Joe is not the first guy for that to happen to," Quad Cities pitching coach Dave Borkowski said of Musgrove struggling with high expectations. "There's a lot of pressure for a young kid being drafted in the first round. He's expected to move fast. He's expected to dominate at every level. You see that happen to young kids, to put big expectations on themselves and falter.

"I think Joe has finally gotten to that mature point where he takes care of himself and does what he can do within his parameters, and he's learned to do that very well. Now he's living up to his expectations, by doing it his way."

Borkowski sees Musgrove's mental toughness in his performances and in between starts. He displays intensity and focus in his sidework and fielding drills. His passion and focus carries over into the game.

"Joe is off to a very good start," Borkowski said. "I think the thing that sticks out most ... he has one walk in 20 innings. He's aggressive, he pounds the zone, he has three-plus pitches that he'll throw at any time. The best thing is -- he's got fire in him. He wants to go out there and compete and do the best for his team each and every day."

Musgrove is throwing in the 90-to-96 mph range this season. He handcuffs batters with a hard slider and a lethal changeup. Not having to re-invent himself as a pitcher is critical in an important season for Musgrove.

"Being my Rule 5 year, I understand that this is a big deciding year where my career goes," Musgrove said. "I did a lot of mental work this offseason, along with the physical training and rehab to get myself ready, knowing that I'm going to be going through a full season of 142 games. That's something I'm not used to. That's a big mental and physical obstacle to go through -- will my arm hold up? Can I get through a full season?"

Mental training that incorporated tenets of martial arts has enabled Musgrove to develop a pitcher's vision.

"I'm able to focus on the task at hand," Musgrove said. "It allows me to stay in the moment and not get emotionally attached to one pitch or one at-bat."

Musgrove's focus on the present, rather than his past, has him on a path to a brilliant future.

"It's been hard," Musgrove said. "There were plenty of times I wanted to get angry that I wasn't moving, that I wasn't healthy. I just stuck to the process and understood this was part of a plan. It allowed me to sit back and absorb everything, instead of being angry about where I was, and not being somewhere else. Right now, I'm taking it game by game and listening to my body."

In brief

Seven runs on one hit: South Bend racked up seven runs on one hit on the way to a 9-2 victory against Fort Wayne on Saturday. The Cubs ended up with three hits in the game as Fort Wayne issued nine walks overall. South Bend used three free passes to load the bases in the second inning against Ernesto Montas. A two-run single by Charcer Burks and a two-run error gave South Bend a 4-0 lead. Three more walks in the third loaded the bases before a hit batter and a force out led to the 7-0 lead with only one hit. Two walks in the fourth, a wild pitch and a two-run single made it 9-0. After Fort Wayne relievers retired 14 in a row, South Bend picked up its third hit in the ninth inning.

Rehab, rehab, rehab: Minnesota Twins pitcher Ricky Nolasco made his third-ever rehab appearance with Class A Cedar Rapids on Sunday due to elbow issues, working five solid innings against Kane County. The right-hander also made two starts for the Kernels last season.

Ending a drought: Great Lakes snapped a scoreless streak of 25 innings in a big way, defeating Bowling Green, 8-7, on Wednesday following back-to-back shutouts. The Loons have only hit one home run in 17 games.