The San Diego Padres will be without one of their top arms for the rest of the postseason and beyond.
Joe Musgrove started Game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on Wednesday, but left after just 3/3 innings due to elbow tightness in his pitching arm.
That was never a good sign and the worst-case scenario unfolded.
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Joe Musgrove (left) of the San Diego Padres is ejected in the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park in San Diego on October 2, 2024. (Sean M. Huffey/Getty Images)
San Diego announced Friday that Musgrove will undergo Tommy John surgery and will almost certainly miss the entire 2025 season.
Musgrove has been plagued by injuries since the best season of his career in 2022. His season ended early last year after he developed inflammation in his shoulder joint capsule. This season did not start very hot. He posted a 5.66 ERA in his first 10 starts. San Diego then placed him on the IL for 60 days with a bone spur in his right elbow.
Since his return, Musgrove has found his form, posting a 2.15 ERA in his final nine starts of the season, including one early last month in which he allowed six earned runs in 41/3 innings. His ERA was 3.88, but he was clearly heading in the right direction.
Joe Musgrove of the San Diego Padres is ejected during the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park in San Diego on October 2, 2024. (Sean M. Huffey/Getty Images)
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But on Wednesday night, he became visibly emotional, left the field with his trainer and was removed from the game.
Musgrove said Friday that he was “devastated and unable to finish what he started” over the “sudden and serious injury.”
“It's important to understand that this is it for me.”
Musgrove said when he had his elbow checked over the summer, doctors told him it was “only a matter of time” before the worst happened.
“That letter was on the wall for me. It was just a matter of when it would happen,” he said.
Despite Musgrove leaving the game early, San Diego defeated the Atlanta Braves and advanced to the National League Division Series.
This will be their third trip to the National League since 2020, and both will be against their National League West rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove was ejected in the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 2 of the 2024 MLB Playoffs Wild Card Round against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park. (Dennis Poloy/Imagn Images)
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Musgrove thought he had the option of using the extra rest day to pitch in Game 3 of the National League.
The series begins Saturday night in Los Angeles with a ceremonial first pitch at 8:38 p.m. ET.
