The Padres are rolling the dice with a familiar name at exactly the right moment.
Ahead of their Wild Card Series matchup with the Cubs, San Diego included Joe Musgrove on its 26-man roster, a notable call for a pitcher who has not appeared in a big league game since starting against the Braves in Game 2 of the 2024 Wild Card Series on Oct. 2. If Musgrove gets into a game this postseason, it will be his first MLB action in almost two years.
His path back has been anything but smooth. Not long after that 2024 postseason start, Musgrove was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his throwing elbow and had Tommy John surgery in October. The recovery came with setbacks, including a back issue that delayed his return after he made four minor-league rehab starts earlier this season.
Still, the right-hander appears to be trending the right way. The San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported that Musgrove has looked sharp in instructional league work and live batting practice.
“I don't know if it's the shorter outings or if we've finally reached a point where my arm is just feeling healthy. … I do feel the most optimistic I've felt at any time in the last two years,” Musgrove said on Sunday.
The velocity has also been encouraging. In his three August rehab starts at Triple-A, Musgrove averaged 94.4 mph with his fastball. For comparison, his average fastball velocity in 2024 was 92.9 mph.
The question now is how San Diego plans to use him. A bullpen role looks like the most likely fit, and that would add another layer to a relief group that already gives the Padres a major edge. Craig Stammen now has one more option to turn to, and that could matter with the uncertainty surrounding the rotation after Michael King and Nick Pivetta.
There’s still some mystery around what Musgrove will look like after such a long layoff. But the track record is there.
In four seasons with the Padres, he posted a 123 ERA+, a 3.68 FIP and a 4.18 K/BB ratio over 97 starts and one relief appearance. He also threw the first no-hitter in Padres history in 2021.
Across his MLB career, Musgrove has made 26 relief appearances, plus four more in the postseason.
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