Joe Musgrove Added to Padres' Wild Card Roster Despite Long Injury Absence
The veteran pitcher is set to be on the roster for the NL Wild Card Series nearly two years after his last MLB appearance.
Veteran right-hander Joe Musgrove has been named to the San Diego Padres' roster for their National League Wild Card Series, marking his return to major league play nearly two full years after his last game.
Musgrove was a surprise inclusion on the 26-man roster announced Tuesday before the Padres' series opener against the Chicago Cubs. He has not pitched for his hometown team since Oct. 2, 2024, when he exited a Wild Card Series game against Atlanta with a right elbow injury. He subsequently underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2025 season. His recovery progressed slower than anticipated, leading him to also miss the 2026 regular season.
Now 34 years old, Musgrove participated in four rehab appearances in August. He has recently been throwing in instructional league games, and the Padres' decision suggests they were encouraged by his progress.
Musgrove was selected for the 11-man postseason pitching staff over several other potential candidates. These included right-hander Randy Vasquez, left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta, trade deadline acquisition Casey Mize, and Griffin Canning.
In other roster news, outfielder Miguel Andújar was also surprisingly included. Andújar has been sidelined since July 19 due to a broken wrist but took at-bats at Petco Park on Monday.
Ethan Salas, the Padres' 20-year-old catcher, made the Wild Card Series roster as expected. If Salas appears in the series, he will become the youngest catcher in MLB postseason history. Salas, who was called up on September 1, became the youngest player to catch a major league game since Iván "Pudge" Rodríguez in 1991. He finished the regular season with 10 hits in his final 24 at-bats.