Padres’ Joe Musgrove return plan comes with a playoff roster catch

Okay, let’s just say Joe Musgrove returns in time for October. He gives the Padres two or three important innings and hands the baseball to one of the deepest bullpens in the sport. Nobody needs the full vintage experience. Just give the Padres a short burst from a pitcher who has already delivered some of the biggest moments in franchise history.

But what happens after he pitches? Musgrove and the Padres are considering shorter starts or a temporary move to the bullpen following another setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He worked five innings of one-run ball for Triple-A El Paso on Aug. 27, but he needed 12 days between his August rehab starts and had yet to throw his next bullpen session as of Friday. His arm eventually comes back around. The problem is how long it takes.

A shorter Joe Musgrove outing only matters if it shortens the recovery

A move to the bullpen sounds like an obvious solution because it reduces Musgrove’s workload. However, changing the job title doesn’t sound like it really solves the problem. If Musgrove throws fewer pitches and still cannot use his arm normally for several days afterward, the Padres would have a pitcher who might appear once in a series while another reliever sits at home.

That might work if those innings are dominant and perfectly managed. It would also leave Craig Stammen working around an obvious limitation that every opponent knows is there.

Musgrove seems to understand that.

“I just need to be able to show them I can recover and be someone they can count on,” Musgrove said.

The Padres cannot turn an October roster spot into a tribute

This would be much easier if we were talking about almost anybody else. There’s plenty of nostalgia here. Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in Padres history. He also showed up big in 2022, tossing seven scoreless innings in the decisive Wild Card game against the Mets. He’s a hometown arm who has embraced the franchise and delivered for them on a big stage.

His history should earn him every reasonable opportunity to complete this comeback. But it can’t guarantee him a playoff spot.

Postseason teams carry 26 players for each series, and the roster can be changed between rounds. Every selection has to serve a purpose.

The Padres also aren’t desperate enough for this. They added Robbie Ray and Casey Mize at the trade deadline. Walker Buehler and Randy Vásquez have pitched well during the second half. Nick Pivetta is nearing a return of his own. The Friars have legitimate rotation options and a bullpen already built to shorten games.

Musgrove would be joining that group as a luxury, not a necessity. If he can recover quickly enough to pitch more than once out of the bullpen during a series, then by all means, the Padres should consider it. But if he can’t, they already know the answer.

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