Ahead of NLDS, Padres say Joe Musgrove needs Tommy John - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove suffered damage to his ulnar collateral ligament during his Wednesday start and will soon undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his season and all but ruling him out for the entirety of 2025.

Musgrove exited in the fourth inning of his start in Game 2 of the Padres' wild-card series after back-to-back mid-70 mph curveballs to Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson. An initial MRI didn't show further damage to his UCL, but a follow-up Thursday, after the inflammation had subsided, revealed enough of a tear to warrant surgery.

«I'm devastated about not finishing what we initially started,» Musgrove said Friday, before the rest of his team went through a workout from Dodger Stadium ahead of the National League Division Series. «I'm not all that concerned about the work or the rehab or the time off. I know how to work hard. It's just a matter of coming to grips with the fact that this is it for me.»

Musgrove's absence the rest of October likely means Martin Perez, who posted a 3.46 ERA in 10 starts since being acquired before the trade deadline, will jump into the Padres' postseason rotation.

The Padres will start Dylan Cease in Game 1 on Saturday, Yu Darvish in Game 2 on Sunday and Michael King when the series shifts to San Diego for Game 3 on Tuesday. Perez seems like the logical choice to start a potential Game 4.

«We're definitely not here if it's not for Joe Musgrove,» Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. «He's obviously very disappointed; everybody in that room feels for him. We've had a lot of guys step up this year. And it's gonna take now other guys in that staff to step up because it's definitely a big blow.»

Musgrove made two separate trips to the injured