Padres News: Jason Adam’s rough rehab, Joe Musgrove’s fading return, Casey Mize’s playoff role

The Padres have climbed into sole possession of the second NL Wild Card spot, but their postseason pitching staff isn’t falling into their spots as cleanly. One arm is nearing a return despite some hideous rehab numbers. Another has essentially run out of runway. A third is healthy but pitching his way out of the postseason rotation.

Nine earned runs in one-third of an inning across two consecutive rehab appearances is not a good look. Jason Adam recorded zero outs while allowing five runs Wednesday, then surrendered four more while getting one out Thursday.

Jason Adam’s rehab numbers look worse than his actual outlook

Despite all of this happening in the Pacific Coast League, it’s not necessarily an out. Still, Adams says he feels good physically, and his velocity has remained around its normal range. That’s a decent checkpoint after a shoulder strain sidelined him in early July.

Adam opened the assignment with a perfect inning on Sept. 13. Before the injury, he owned a 2.51 ERA across 36 appearances for San Diego. One clean appearance would settle a few nerves. If the shoulder passes that test, the Padres will likely bring him back. They could use another trustworthy reliever while managing workloads.

The Joe Musgrove comeback has run out of calendar

Musgrove worked five innings of one-run ball for Triple-A El Paso on Aug. 27. Unfortunately he’s struggled to regain his range of motion and throwing ability quickly enough between high-intensity sessions. The Padres floated shorter starts and even a temporary bullpen role, but there are only seven regular-season games remaining after Saturday.

At some point, creative usage is just wishful thinking. It’s hard to imagine Musgrove cracking the postseason roster at this point. He would need to show he can pitch effectively and recover on a schedule that makes him usable again. He hasn’t done that.

If he unexpectedly clears every test, the Padres can reconsider. Otherwise, they should stop trying to solve a 2026 problem with Musgrove’s surgically repaired elbow. Protecting his chance to help in 2027 is more important than rushing a cameo in the postseason.

Casey Mize is becoming a playoff problem for the Padres

Unlike Musgrove, Casey Mize has been available.  Before Saturday’s start, Mize described his transition from Detroit as “choppy.” He then walked five Marlins, threw only 39 of 74 pitches for strikes and allowed five earned runs in three innings. Choppy might be an understatement.

Through nine starts with the Padres, Mize has a 6.64 ERA across 40 2/3 innings. He arrived from Detroit with a 2.70 ERA and the expectation that he would stabilize a rotation San Diego had spent months trying to patch together.

Instead, he has become another question.

The Padres rallied for a 7-6 walk-off victory Saturday, but Ethan Salas delivering the happy ending didn't erase the seven innings the bullpen had to cover. Mize may receive another start, but an October rotation spot should no longer be treated as an automatic. Right now, he hasn’t earned a place among the Padres’ top four starters. If San Diego carries him on its postseason roster, a multi-inning relief assignment is becoming easier to defend than handing him a playoff start.

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