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Padres Notes: Starting Pitchers Announced, Fan Favorite Suddenly Retires, Joe Musgrove Return?

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Oct 2, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove (44) throws during the first inning of game two in the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Oct 2, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove (44) throws during the first inning of game two in the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres have announced their starting pitcher for Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Chicago Cubs, which is on Tuesday night. A familiar hurler will make his way to the mound — one who owned a 2.93 ERA in the second half of the season, and one that manager Craig Stammen raved about when the official announcement was made.

"He had a great season, and I think, number one, he would say he's been healthy throughout the whole season," Stammen said. "He's made every single start. I can't say that about our entire starting rotation. For that matter, he was really, really, really important to our team. He was able to stabilize our staff when it wasn't very stable."

In other news, a former Padres fan favorite announced his retirement from the game of baseball. The 31-year-old spent the final two years of his nine-year MLB career in San Diego. Most of his time in professional baseball was with the New York Yankees, but he made sure to specifically mention the Padres and how much love he had for that chapter of his baseball life.

"To everyone in the Padres organization, the fans, thank you. I loved every minute of my two years wearing the brown and gold. Anaheim and Oakland, you were also a huge part of my journey, and I’m grateful for every experience along the way. To all the coaches, staff, trainers, and fans who played a part in my career, thank you."

Finally, right-hander Joe Musgrove, who was formerly having trouble recovering after throwing days, seems to be changing his tune after a recent positive development. Musgrove is closing in on two years since he last graced a major league mound, but if he can return in time for an improbable season debut at the perfect time, he can very well prove to be this October's X-factor.

“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.”

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres, Cubs Announce Starting Pitchers for Wild-Card Game 1 on Tuesday

Former Padres Fan Favorite Announces Sudden Retirement From MLB at 31 Years Old

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

MLB Exec Predicts Padres to Win 2026 World Series

Walker Buehler, Padres Oozing With Confidence Heading Into Postseason

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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