San Diego Padres right-handed starter Joe Musgrove was diagnosed with a UCL injury in his pitching elbow and will undergo Tommy John surgery.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller announced the news Friday shortly after manager Mike Shildt said the team would not include Musgrove on their National League Division Series roster.
“He’ll be with us in our hearts, but he won’t be on the mound,” Shildt said of Musgrove.
The Padres are set to begin their NLDS series on the road against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday. Right-hander Dylan Cease will start the series opener, while right-hander Yu Darvish is set to start in Game 2.
Musgrove left his wild-card round start Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves with an elbow injury. Preller said Musgrove’s MRI Thursday revealed damage to his ligament and surgery is required.
“Obviously a blow to our team on the field,” Preller said. “I think just as much, you have what he means to our group and our team, his presence every single day. He’s totally invested in the Padre organization.”
The 31-year-old San Diego-area native was 6-5 with a 3.88 ERA in 19 starts this season.
In nine career seasons, including an NL All-Star campaign in 2022, Musgrove is 66-62 with a 3.73 ERA in 206 appearances (180 starts) for the Houston Astros (2016-17), Pittsburgh Pirates (2018-20) and Padres.
San Diego charged into the wild-card round with a major league-best 43-20 record in the second half, while the club’s pitching staff had a 3.38 ERA after the break, fourth best in baseball.
