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10/04/24 05:51:00
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10/04 17:50 CDT 'Devastated' Joe Musgrove needs Tommy John surgery and won't
pitch for the Padres in the NLDS
'Devastated' Joe Musgrove needs Tommy John surgery and won't pitch for the
Padres in the NLDS
By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Joe Musgrove needs Tommy John surgery and won't pitch for
the San Diego Padres in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The right-hander has an ulnar collateral ligament injury, A.J. Preller, the
Padres president of baseball operations, said Friday. Recovery typically takes
12 to 18 months, meaning Musgrove could miss the entire 2025 season.
"I'm devastated about not being able to finish what we started," an emotional
Musgrove said in the Padres dugout. "It's just a matter of coming to grips with
that this is it for me."
Musgrove is just the latest in a series of MLB pitchers who've sustained UCL
injuries this season, including Atlanta's Spencer Strider, Cleveland's Shane
Bieber, Toronto's Alek Manoah and Miami's Eury Prez.
"It's rampant in our game," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Musgrove left Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series with elbow tightness. He threw
two slow curveballs to fall behind 2-1 on Atlanta's Matt Olson with two outs in
the fourth and was visited by pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Padres manager Mike
Shildt and an athletic trainer joined them, and Musgrove came out.
"If you're not a pitcher, it's very difficult to explain. I just had a hard
time getting to full extension and letting pitches go," Musgrove said
Wednesday. "There wasn't a whole lot of confidence behind it. I had two outs in
the inning. I was hoping to be able to get through the inning and then address
it in between, but I didn't make it to that point."
Musgrove had been pitching through discomfort for a couple of weeks. The
31-year-old right-hander had two stints on the injured list with right elbow
inflammation this season, costing him a total of 63 games. His second stint
sidelined him for 2 1/2 months. He had a 2.17 ERA over 54 innings since Aug. 12.
"I was told back in the middle months of the summer that it was some damage
there and that it was kind of a matter of time," he said. "This seemed like
something that I could manage. Physically, I felt like I was capable of
throwing still. It didn't feel like anything as extreme as a UCL injury, but
over the last few weeks it was getting a little more intense."
Musgrove said he would reach out to players who've had Tommy John surgery to
learn more. The procedure involves reattaching a tendon from another part of
the body to the elbow.
"I don't know when the surgery will be. I'd like to get it sooner rather than
later," he said. "I'm going to be supporting the hell out of these guys."
Musgrove is in the second season of a $100 million, five-year contract calling
for $20 million annually from 2023-27.
Losing Musgrove is a blow. The native of El Cajon is revered by Padres fans for
throwing the first no-hitter in franchise history in 2021, when he was acquired
that January in a three-team trade.
Preller said, "We're definitely not here if it's not for Joe Musgrove."
"He's a special individual, but I can tell you we'll be just fine and compete,"
Shildt said. "He'll be in our hearts but won't be with us on the mound."
Musgrove is well-liked around the majors as well, and Roberts called his
absence "a bummer."
"Joe is not only a good pitcher, he's a great guy," Roberts said. "So to be at
the 1-yard line as far as in this series and for him to not be a part of it, it
sucks."
The Padres will start right-hander Dylan Cease in Game 1, followed by righty Yu
Darvish in Game 2.
"He's a great leader, great teammate," Cease said of Musgrove. "He'll be with
us in other ways."
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
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