San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove will not pitch during the team's upcoming National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, or for the foreseeable future. The Padres announced on Friday that Musgrove will require Tommy John surgery, just days after he left his start on Wednesday during San Diego's Wild Card Series win against the Atlanta Braves with elbow tightness. Tommy John surgery typically requires around 14 months for a full recovery, suggesting Musgrove is not only done for the rest of this year, but likely the entirety of the 2025 campaign, too.
"I'm frustrated, I don't know what the future looks like for me right now," Musgrove had told MLB.com after his early departure. "But I know I'm going to give it every chance I have, and I'll do whatever I've got to do to get back in there at some point."
Musgrove, 31, required multiple injured list stints this season because of his right elbow. When he was hearty and hale, he pitched 19 times and amassed a 3.88 ERA (106 ERA+) and a 4.39 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His contributions were worth an estimated 1.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference's calculations.
With Musgrove sidelined for the rest of this fall, the Padres will presumably proceed with a rotation that features some combination of Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Yu Darvish. Either Martín Pérez or Matt Waldron could theoretically slot into the fourth spot. San Diego will have until three and a half hours before first pitch to finalize their roster.
The Padres will be playing the Dodgers in the playoffs for the third time. The winner will advance to the NL Championship Series, where they'll square off against either the Philadelphia Phillies or the New York Mets.