Padres’ hometown hero Joe Musgrove pitches first game in two years

Joe Musgrove's first MLB game in two years was a dramatic postseason appearance.

Yahoo

Published: Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 5:03 AM

Key Things to Know

Joe Musgrove returned to the mound for the Padres after a two-year injury absence.
Musgrove pitched a scoreless ninth inning as the Padres defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-0 in Game 1.
He became only the second player in MLB history to pitch in the playoffs after missing two full seasons.

The Story in 60 Seconds

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove made an emotional return to the mound after missing two full regular seasons, pitching the ninth inning in an 8-0 shutout victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the wild card series. Facing 47,084 cheering fans at Petco Park, Musgrove struck out two batters and escaped a bases-loaded jam to close out the win.

Musgrove, who had not pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2024, became just the second player in MLB history to appear in a postseason game directly following two missed seasons. Teammates Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado hit early home runs to help build the lead before Musgrove took the mound.

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Padres’ hometown hero Joe Musgrove pitches first game in two years

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