San Diego to face former Padre in 2025 MLB playoffs after three-year MLB absence

Everyone loves a comeback story. It's so deeply rooted in the foundation of sports, and regardless of your fandom, watching a player come back from years of struggling is just too heart-warming to overlook. Now, as we look at baseball, the Chicago Cubs might just have the best comeback story of the year in Major League Baseball.

Drew Pomeranz, a tall 36-year-old left-handed pitcher, had not pitched since August 2021 before signing with the Cubs. He dealt with flexor tendon injuries, as well as elbow problems. It kept him out of pitching in a MLB game for over three years, but Pomeranz has pitched well above-average for the postseason bound Cubs.

Pomeranz will be opposing a familiar face in the NL Wild Card round, as he is a two-time Padre who last appeared with San Diego before his years-long hiatus from the game.

Former Padre Drew Pomeranz is set to face San Diego as reliever with Cubs

En route to a division title in the NL Central, Pomeranz has been a key arm for the Cubs this year. He ranks in the 84th percentile in strikeout rate, and has recorded an impressive 2.17 ERA across 57 appearances. He also handed in a 1.067 WHIP and 57 strikeouts, which is third-most among Chicago relievers in 2025.

Before the 2025 season, Pomeranz last pitched with the Padres. In 2021, he had a 1.75 ERA in 25.2 innings. The southpaw was with the Friars in 2016 as well before getting to the Boston Red Sox for Anderson Espinoza. He then signed a free agent contract with San Diego following the 2019 season before sustaining several arm injuries that kept him out of MLB for a few years.

His return is a feel-good story, and we should expect somewhat of a standing ovation if he comes in to pitch at Petco Park. He did not throw against the Padres in the regular season, so a potential appearance in the Wild Card round would be his first true return home to San Diego.

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