Padres Notes April 9: More Bad Joe Musgrove News, AJ Preller Uncertain Future, Impossible Decision Incoming

The San Diego Padres got back into the win column in a major way on Wednesday afternoon as they took down the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-2, and improved to 6-6 on the year with the rubber match victory.

A Nick Castellanos double brought in two runs while a Jake Cronenworth long ball later in the seventh inning pulled San Diego way ahead. Luis Campusano brought in a run of his own in the ninth, followed by a Fernando Tatis Jr. RBI single later that same inning.

Some poor fielding by the Pirates contributed to Jackson Merrill bringing in a run by way of a fielder's choice and a throwing error to get Tatis to third. With two outs in the final frame, Merrill stole second base as Tatis took the opportunity to take home and added an eighth run on the day.

In other news, Padres All-Star right-hander Joe Musgrove had a somewhat concerning update regarding his return to a major league mound. After Tommy John surgery sidelined him for all of 2025, an early March start during spring training appeared to derail him from the initial recovery process.

Additionally, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has an uncertain future with the Padres organization, according to an insider. The trade deadline maestro is no stranger to making aggressive deals that help out the team, but he may need to find success with a new ownership group on the way in.

Finally, the Padres have a near impossible decision to make regarding their roster. Although the return of an elite bullpen presence will be more than welcomed back to the squad, it will most likely come at the expense of Ron Marinaccio, Kyle Hart, David Morgan or Bradgley Rodriguez being designated for assignment or sent down to the minors as San Diego navigates its options.

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

Padres' Joe Musgrove Has No Timeline to Start Pitching Off Mound in Concerning Update

Padres' AJ Preller Has Uncertain Future With Team, Says Insider

Padres Have Impossible Roster Decision to Make This Week

Padres vs Rockies: Series Preview, Key Injuries, Bold Prediction for Games April 9-12

Padres On Verge of Getting Major Pitching Help

Padres Veteran Just Waiting to Be Replaced After Slow Start

Padres Tweets of the Day

Pittsburgh native Mason Miller records the final 3 outs of the game in his first MLB appearance in his hometown 💛 pic.twitter.com/mhUdlbURna
— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2026

Nick Castellanos breaks the scoreless tie in Pittsburgh! pic.twitter.com/H149FT8uqn
— MLB (@MLB) April 8, 2026

There is a Crone Zone in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/adEzqSlZw3
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 8, 2026

Got it done. pic.twitter.com/qzXuAMpgb5
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 8, 2026