Historic Postseason Return
Joe Musgrove makes an emotional postseason return to help Padres defeat Cubs.
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Joe Musgrove made an emotional return to the mound nearly two years after his last major-league appearance, pitching the ninth inning of San Diego’s 8-0 Wild Card Series victory over the Chicago Cubs. The Padres had added the right-hander to their postseason roster after Tommy John surgery and repeated recovery setbacks kept him out since October 2024. After allowing two singles and a walk to load the bases, Musgrove struck out Michael Conforto to end the game. His appearance made him the first player to feature in postseason games in separate seasons without a regular-season appearance in between, a feat last approached by Cubs catcher Clyde McCullough in 1945 after military service. San Diego expects to use Musgrove in relief as it pursues the best-of-three series.
Key Points
1
Before joining the postseason roster, Musgrove made four rehab appearances last month; his final one was five innings of one-run ball for Triple-A on Aug. 27. The Padres later saw encouraging signs from his instructional-league appearances, though his ability to recover between outings remained a concern.
2
Musgrove is the author of the only no-hitter in Padres franchise history, which he threw in 2021. He was an All-Star in 2022 and had a 3.20 ERA in 97 starts for San Diego entering the series.
3
Michael King held the Cubs to one hit over seven dominant innings before Musgrove entered. King said Musgrove “means so much to this team and city” and that the Padres would still “bank on him pitching meaningful innings this October.”
4
The Padres carried 11 pitchers on their Wild Card Series roster, including Musgrove, and also added 20-year-old prospect Ethan Salas as one of three catchers. Salas was expected to catch Nick Pivetta in Game 2.
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