Padres’ Joe Musgrove Could Return in Postseason, Per Latest Update

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 | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Padres received a positive update this week regarding the status of starting pitcher Joe Musgrove, who has missed the entirety of the 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee, Musgrove "resumed playing catch yesterday after a few days off due to some soreness in his surgically repaired elbow."

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Acee said that Musgrove attributed his soreness to the normal progression of returning from Tommy John surgery and that the former All-Star is preparing on a schedule that could see him pitching out of the bullpen if the Padres advance to the NL Division Series or the NL Championship Series.

The update is a positive sign after the pitcher did his first "up-down" over a week ago. At the time, Musgrove said he was "still hoping" to be able to return in the postseason.

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Of course, in order for Musgrove to make it to the mound, the Padres would have to move past the NL Wild Card round, where they are projected to face the Chicago Cubs if the season were to end today. Getting Musgrove back in the bullpen would be a major boost for a Padres team that would face either the Philadelphia Phillies or division rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.

"There are a lot of things going against me," Musgrove said last week. "... It's going to be a matter of us going far enough and me getting sharp enough."

During his time away from the mound, Musgrove has made a concentrated effort to give back to the San Diego community.

Because of his involvement with the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Armed Services YMCA, Musgrove earned a nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given annually to a player deemed to best embody baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contributions to his team.

“It’s one of the things that I talked about with people in my inner circle and some of the people in the organization about the time away from the field and doing the most with it and trying to utilize it the right way,” Musgrove said. “So I really made more of an effort to get out in the community. During the season, it’s tough for some of these guys to get to the events. So I kind of took that upon myself to try to be more of a representative of the team and take some of the pressure off the pressure off the guys that are trying to play on a daily basis.”

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