Padres rotation takes a hit for the remainder of postseason and beyond

The San Diego Padres clinched the top Wild Card spot in the National League, and made quick work of the Atlanta Braves in the opening round of the postseason. The Padres swept the Braves in two games, and are now set to take on the rival Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS. But they will be shorthanded in the starting rotation.

Earlier Friday, ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported that Musgrove is being left off San Diego's NLDS roster due to elbow tightness, which forced him to exit Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against Atlanta. As if that wasn't bad enough, considering they will be one starter short in their pivotal series against the Dodgers, general manager A.J. Preller provided a brutal update.

Preller told reporters on Friday that Musgrove suffered damage to his UCL and will now require Tommy John surgery. With that, Musgrove is out for the rest of the postseason, and is in line to miss the entirety of the 2025 regular season.

Joe Musgrove out for remainder of Padres postseason, set to undergo Tommy John surgery

This is the absolute worst-case scenario for the Padres. Having their No. 2 starting pitcher sidelined for the rest of the postseason into next year is brutal to hear.

Musgrove exited Wednesday's Game 2 against the Braves in the top of the fifth inning with the team up 5-1. After forcing Marcell Ozuna to groundout, Musgrove was checked out by members of the Padres training staff, then was pulled from the game altogether.

Elbow injuries have followed Musgrove throughout the season. Musgrove suffered right elbow inflammation in May and hit the injured list shortly after returning from a shoulder injury. Then in June, Musgrove was sidelined for about two months due to a bone spur in his right elbow. Now, Musgrove has UCL damage and needs Tommy John surgery.

Through 19 starts this season, Musgrove recorded a 3.88 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, a 6-5 win-loss record, 101 strikeouts, and 23 walks in 99.2 innings.

With Musgrove out, the Padres will have to rely heavily on Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Yu Darvish to lead the rotation. It's not an ideal situation for the Padres, but they do have the offensive firepower and the bullpen to make a run in the playoffs this year.