SAN DIEGO — The last time Joe Musgrove took the mound for the Padres, he was pitching them to the 2024 National League Division Series. Starting Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against Atlanta, Musgrove tore the upper ligament in his right elbow and would require Tommy John surgery, which would keep him out for nearly two years. Now, his return could happen in the same setting: on the same mound at Petco Park. In a surprising move Tuesday morning, the Padres added Musgrove to their Wild Card Series roster ahead of Game 1 against the Cubs on Tuesday night. He is expected to play a limited role as a reliever. Musgrove was originally hoping to return to the rotation in the early part of the season. But this year he suffered multiple setbacks. After the last of those setbacks, the Padres opted to use Musgrove in a bullpen role. Musgrove never formally rehabbed as a reliever, instead pitching games in the Arizona Complex League. As a starter, his repertoire seemed of quality during his minor league outings. But Musgrove had trouble recovering after those outings. It took several days for his elbow to recover from the workload, hence the move to the bullpen. If nothing else, Musgrove’s inclusion is surely a big emotional boost for the Padres. He is one of the most loved players in the clubhouse and by the fans. He’s a San Diego native and lifelong Padres fan with an interlocking SD tattooed on his bicep. The applause during the presentations seems strident. Musgrove is one of 11 pitchers on the Padres’ postseason roster. They did a lot on the hitting side with 15 bats, to be able to play matchups at catcher, designated hitter and left field. There’s some uncertainty about what they’ll get from Musgrove, but in a short series the Padres thought eight pitchers in their tight bullpen would be enough. Here is the complete list of Padres:
