Padres' Joe Musgrove Watch Has Taken Another Turn Just Before Postseason

The right-hander who last pitched during a 2024 wild-card game has changed his tune about the likeliness of a return.

Sep 5, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres Joe Musgrove (44) watches game play during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres have been without the pitching of Joe Musgrove for nearly two years.

The last time Musgrove appeared at the major league level was on Oct. 2, 2024, the second wild-card game against the Atlanta Braves.

Since then, the hurler has undergone Tommy John surgery and sat out the entirety of the 2025 campaign. This past spring, when the anticipation was growing for Musgrove's 2026 debut, setbacks continued to plague him and the debut has yet to be had.

Back in August, the issue appeared to be that Musgrove was close to a return, but it soon became clear that recovering after his throwing days barred him from taking his major league-level stuff to the mound. Earlier this week, Musgrove floated the possibility of not being fully recovered by the end of October.

Luckily for the Padres, a team that relies on their bullpen perhaps the most in MLB, Musgrove suddenly feels optimistic about making a postseason season debut.

“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,” Musgrove said. “I do feel the most optimistic I’ve felt at any time in the last two years.”

Regardless of why Musgrove is without pain, the fact that he is without pain and pitching like a big league pitcher once again is all that matters. As Musgrove noted, the shorter outings may be how he is ramped back up to returning as the San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders claimed that Musgrove may be looking like a bullpen option in October.

“I’ve been out a long time,” Musgrove said. "This team has gotten where they are without me. I just want to be part of it. … Physically, I don’t feel like I need more time. Throwing more, there’s a possibility for it to go sideways. I’m hoping for a wild-card opportunity.”

Fernando Tatis Jr. was home run-less until May 30 but finished the season with 25, batting .307 since the All-Star break. Manny Machado had one of the worst batting averages of his career, but collected the most home runs he has in a season (30) since 2023.

Resiliance is something that adds to the Padres' identity, and for a team staple like Musgrove to be the one going through this journey, the baseball world shouldn't be surprised if he not only trots out of the bullpen in October, but thrives in his role.

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