The Padres’ 5-1 loss to the Yankees on Saturday night did more than drop San Diego to 74-68. It also left the club 0.5 games back of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the National League’s final wild-card spot, with little margin left to waste.
Robbie Ray’s night unraveled almost immediately. The left-hander, who entered the game still chasing career win No. 100, was tagged for five earned runs on five hits in just 2.1 innings. He also issued four walks and recorded only one strikeout before Griffin Canning took over.
By then, the damage was already heavy. Canning and the bullpen limited New York to four hits the rest of the way, but the Padres could only scratch out one run of their own. That lone tally came in the fourth inning when Manny Machado launched a solo homer, his 25th of the season.
There was also more concerning news surrounding Joe Musgrove. The right-hander has been working toward a 2026 debut after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, but his comeback now appears to be in doubt, with no firm return date in sight. Musgrove said recent higher-intensity throwing sessions have been leaving him unable to play catch for days afterward.
"Something about high-intensity throws is just not allowing me to play catch for a couple days," Musgrove said to reporters. "As good as I felt a couple starts ago, not necessarily in the same place.
I don’t think I’m a wrap for the year. We’re just trying to look at some different options of either shorter appearances or different theories.
I mean, really, I’m running out of answers."
The Padres’ trade-deadline move for Casey Mize is also looking rougher by the day. After six starts in San Diego, the right-hander owns a 6.67 ERA and a 1-3 record, and he admitted after his most recent outing that the issue has come down to execution.
“Just some bad execution,” Mize told reporters. "But better days ahead.”
In Other News...
Casey Mize Trade Is Suddenly Looking Better For The Tigers
Casey Mize arrived in San Diego at the trade deadline with the kind of profile that can still intrigue a contender: a former top pick with talent, pedigree and a chance to help down the stretch. The Padres took him on August 3 with the hope he could stabilize the staff, but the early returns have been rough. Through six starts, Mize has gone 1-3 with a 6.67 ERA, leaving the deal looking far less like a boost for San Diego than a bet that has yet to pay off.
Detroits side of the trade has been uneven, but it has not been empty. Jackson Wolf has pitched well in Triple-A, giving the Tigers at least one encouraging sign, while Kash Mayfield is currently injured. The overall picture is still fluid, which is what makes deadline deals so hard to judge right away, but for now the Tigers have more reason to feel patient than the Padres do to feel satisfied. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Just Watched A Familiar Yankees Problem Resurface
The Yankees had a jolt of concern in the middle of a game against the Padres when center fielder Trent Grisham exited with right hamstring discomfort after a stolen base attempt. Aaron Boone said imaging is expected to help clarify the injury, and for now the club is treating it as something that appears serious without making any immediate call on an injured list move.
For San Diego fans, it was another reminder of a familiar issue following Grisham around this season, since he had already missed time with a similar hamstring strain. Even before any formal diagnosis, the timing matters for New York because a center fielder trying to stay on the field after one leg issue is now dealing with another, and the next step will tell the Yankees how long they might be without him. [Read more 🡒]
Michael King Can Make The Soto Trade Hurt Yankees Again
The Padres got one of the more useful pieces from the Juan Soto deal in Michael King, and now he gets a chance to line up against the Yankees in the series finale. San Diego has used King as a starter after bringing him over from New York, and the move has paid off in a big way as he has become a steady arm in the middle of the rotation.
King's rise makes the old trade look even more layered for both sides, since the Padres were trying to turn Soto's final year of control into long-term value. A strong outing against his former club would only add to the sense that San Diego extracted real pitching help from a deal that was always going to be judged through more than one lens. [Read more 🡒]