The San Diego Padres played some of the best baseball in MLB down the stretch of the regular season, putting themselves in a position to clinch the top Wild Card spot in the NL.
On Tuesday, with the Wild Card Series beginning, the Padres will host the Chicago Cubs, with Game 1 scheduled for 10 p.m. ET.
Right-handed pitcher Michael King will take the ball for San Diego after anchoring the Padres’ starting rotation this week.
However, what stood out about the Padres’ final 26-man roster for the series involved righty Joe Musgrove.
Padres Announce Sudden Musgrove Move
Musgrove sustained an elbow injury back in 2024, and he hasn’t pitched in an MLB game since Oct. 2 of that same year.
He missed the entire 2025 and 2026 seasons. Yet, on Tuesday, Musgrove was among the 26 players and 11 pitchers included on the roster, which was simply a shocking development around the MLB world.
He’ll obviously pitch in a bullpen role, but if he’s healthy and ready to go, it certainly adds a very dynamic arm to that San Diego pitching staff when it matters the most.
Via MLB on X: “Joe Musgrove, who hasn’t pitched since October 2, 2024 due to an elbow injury, is on the Padres Wild Card roster.”
Joe Musgrove, who hasn’t pitched since October 2, 2024 due to an elbow injury, is on the Padres Wild Card roster.
(MLB x @AbbVie) pic.twitter.com/PZ1RARX7aI
— MLB (@MLB) September 29, 2026
A.J. Preller Speaks on Musgrove Decision
The Padres’ President of Baseball Operations and GM A.J. Preller spoke about the decision to include Musgrove on the playoff roster.
“You always bet on Joe Musgrove in terms of the person, and the stuff has been good. His opportunity to go and compete in a big spot, you trust him,” Preller said.
Musgrove made his MLB debut back in 2016 with the Houston Astros. And he eventually joined the Padres organization in 2021, where he’s been a staple of their pitching staff up until his injury in 2024.
San Diego Padres Announce Sudden Joe Musgrove Move Before Cubs Series