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Stats

Joe Musgrove (elbow) dealing with recovery issues

Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Player Stats

Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters Joe Musgrove (elbow) is not recovering as quickly as they would like between minor league rehab starts.

The Padres appear to be pulling back on Musgrove’s throwing progression since he’s struggling to recover between starts and continues to experience fatigue in his arm and elbow. It’s not uncommon for a pitcher coming off major surgery, but the Padres don’t have the luxury of waiting around and giving him additional time with the postseason just a few weeks away. At this point, it’s challenging to envision a scenario where Musgrove comes back before the end of the regular season. He looked sharp during his latest minor league rehab start for Triple-A El Paso last Thursday. The 33-year-old veteran hasn’t pitched in the majors since the 2024 postseason.

- George Bissell

Injury

Source: Kevin Acee

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Morosi: Dodgers 'looked a little old' in NLCS

Jon Morosi joins the Dan Patrick show to discuss the big questions facing the Dodgers as they enter the offseason with an aging lineup. He contrasts this with how the Brewers built a team centered around young talent.

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Morosi: Dodgers ‘looked a little old’ in NLCS

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Dodgers face ‘murky’ future after NLCS sweep

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Perloff: It’s ‘over’ for Dodgers after NLCS Game 3

Bauers delivers ‘backbreaking’ bat in NLCS Game 3

Baker looks like an ‘All-Star closer’ in playoffs

Verducci on Dodgers’ struggles against Brewers

Chourio channeling Andruw Jones with NLCS breakout

Gasser delivers for Brewers in Game 3 win

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Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

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Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller said that “the next few weeks and months will be to figure out what kind of role Joe Musgrove has with the Padres in 2027.”

Musgrove missed essentially two years while battling through injuries and returned to pitch one inning at the end of September. The 33-year-old would figure to be a leading contender to have a spot in the rotation in 2027, but it seems like the Padres want to be certain of his health over the winter before deciding if they want to let him have a spot or bring in another starting option and keep Musgrove in a bullpen role.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove threw a scoreless inning of relief in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Cubs on Tuesday.

Pretty incredible. Musgrove was a surprising addition to the Padres’ playoff roster, and received a roaring ovation from the San Diego crowd when he entered for the final inning. He struck out the first batter he faced since 2024 on a curveball, and while he then gave up two singles and free pass, the 33-year-old was able to get the next two outs. It’ll be interesting to see how the Padres use Musgrove going forward, as the stuff did look good.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove is on the Padres’ roster for the Wild Card series against the Cubs.

Wandy Peralta and Randy Vásquez have been left off the roster. Musgrove apparently will see action out of the pen this week despite never pitching for the Padres this season in his struggles to return from Tommy John. He last worked in the minors on Aug. 27, after which he was shut down because his arm wasn’t bouncing back after outings.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove, who last pitched on Aug. 27, still isn’t lined up for another outing as he struggles with range-of-motion issues.

Musgrove, trying to return from Tommy John, has been impressive when he’s been able to pitch, but he’s really struggled to bounce back afterwards. “We’re just trying to look at some different options -- shorter appearances, different theories,” Musgrove said. “I’m running out of answers.” Musgrove will likely take on a lesser workload in his next appearance, with the hope that he might bounce back more quickly. A return this season as a traditional starter appears to be off the table at this point.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove (elbow) allowed one run in five innings for Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

Musgrove needed just 60 pitches to get through five frames and threw 70 percent of his pitches for strikes. He had just three whiffs on the day, but this has all the makings of a veteran in his final rehab start who was not really letting it fly. Musgrove has pitched well in the minors and seems healthy and can be added on waivers before his season debut next week.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove (elbow) will make another minor league rehab start for Triple-A El Paso on Thursday.

Musgrove’s timeline to return to San Diego’s rotation mix remains rather nebulous, but he figures to be ready to contribute at some point in the final month of the season. The 33-year-old is working his way back from Tommy John surgery and hasn’t pitched in a big-league contest since the 2024 postseason.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove has joined the Padres to throw a bullpen session ahead of his next rehab start.

There was some thought that Musgrove would come off the IL this weekend, but that he gave up five runs in his last rehab start seemed to put the kibosh on that. It sounds like he’ll pitch again in the minors before getting a rotation spot.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove (elbow) threw a bullpen session before Wednesday’s game against the Brewers.

Musgrove is expected to make his next rehab start Friday for Triple-A El Paso. The right-hander could return to the Padres’ rotation shortly after, but may need one more rehab outing before that can happen.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove said he currently feels the “best [he’s] felt in two years.”

Musgrove hasn’t pitched in a game since Game 2 of the 2024 Wild Card Series against the Braves. He left that game injured and underwent Tommy John surgery a week later. During spring training this year, he experienced a setback with his elbow that delayed his recovery. It wasn’t until July that he started to face live hitters again, but he looked good in his last rehab start, throwing 1.6 mph harder than he did in 2024. He’ll likely need two more rehab starts, but he could be an option for the Padres and fantasy managers in September.
Joe Musgrove

SD Starting Pitcher #44

Joe Musgrove allowed one run and six hits in 3 1/3 innings in his rehab start for Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.

Musgrove, making his way back from Tommy John, averaged 94.6 mph with his fastball, which is really encouraging. He averaged 93.0 mph in his 19 starts in 2024, and his career high for a season was 93.5 mph in 2018. He threw 53 pitches today, so he’ll probably need at least one more rehab start. However, the uptick in his stuff makes him worth stashing in mixed leagues now.

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MJ Melendez

FA Designated Hitter #1
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MJ Melendez has elected free agency.

The 27-year-old slugger slashed a meager .192/.315/.350 with four home runs, 11 RBI and a 50/17 K/BB ratio across 144 plate appearances in 56 games with the Mets during the 2026 season. He has still flashed enough power potential that there will always be teams willing to take a chance on him as a reclamation project.
- David Shovein

Transaction

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Tyler Freeman

FA Right Fielder #2
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Tyler Freeman has elected free agency.

Freeman had a disappointing season for the Rockies in 2026, slashing .247/.317/.314 with three homers, 23 RBI and six stolen bases in his 288 plate appearances. He has proven to be a quality utility option in the past though and could intrigue some teams as a potential bench option.
- David Shovein

Transaction

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Luis Vázquez

FA Shortstop #52
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Luis Vázquez has elected free agency.

The 27-year-old infielder sent almost the entire season at Triple-A Norfolk where he slashed .226/.271/.371 with six homers, 19 RBI and eight stolen bases across 202 plate appearances. He’ll look to latch on elsewhere on what will assuredly be another minor league pact.
- David Shovein

Transaction

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Miles Mastrobuoni

FA 3rd Baseman #21
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Miles Mastrobuoni has elected free agency.

The versatile 30-year-old hit .192 (5-for-26) with one RBI in his limited action with the Mariners during the 2026 campaign. He’s now free to peddle his wares on the open market.
- David Shovein

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Vidal Bruján

FA Shortstop #2
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Vidal Bruján has elected free agency.

The 28-year-old former top prospect saw just 13 plate appearances in nine games with the Mets during the 2026 campaign. He spent most of the season at Triple-A Syracuse where he slashed .278/.385/.421 with five homers, 34 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 258 plate appearances. His speed and defensive versatility could make him an intriguing utility option.
- David Shovein

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J.T. Realmuto

PHI Catcher #10
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Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters on Thursday that the team plans to reduce the amount of games that J.T. Realmuto catches in 2027.

The 35-year-old backstop had a down season at the dish in 2026 and it’s possible that the wear and tear behind the plate played a role in his struggles. Dombrowski mentioned that Realmuto could slot in more at first base to remain in the lineup even when he’s not catching, but if he’s slashing anything near the putrid .205/.283/.331 that he did across 467 plate appearances in 2026, that sounds like a losing proposition. Fantasy managers should anticipate a drop in his overall playing time heading into 2027.
- David Shovein

Source: Cole Weintraub

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Yandy Díaz

TB Designated Hitter #2
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Yandy Diaz hit a two-run homer as the Rays beat the Guardians 7-3 in Game 4 of the ALCS on Saturday.

Diaz essentially put the game away with his two-run homer in the ninth to give the Rays a 7-3 lead. The homer is not only his first of the postseason, but it also gives him his first runs driven in since the regular season ended. The 35-year-old will have a chance to add to those totals in a critical Game 5 come Sunday.
- Christopher Crawford

Recap

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Jonathan Aranda

TB 1st Baseman #8
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Jonathan Aranda went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs in a Game 4 win over the Guardians in the ALCS on Saturday.

Aranda tied the game at 1-1 with a bloop single into center in the third inning. The 28-year-old had a two-run single in the seventh to extend that lead to 4-1, but he was credited with just one more RBI because of an error by Chase DeLauter. He’s now hitting a respectable .269/.345/.385 in the postseason, and he has the Rays two wins from their second trip to the World Series in Rays’ history.
- Christopher Crawford

Recap

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Travis Bazzana

CLE 2nd Baseman #87
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Travis Bazzana hit a solo homer in a loss to the Rays on Saturday in Game 4 of the ALCS.

Bazzana lined a homer into right to get the Guardians back into it at 5-2. The former first-overall pick also singled and walked in easily his best postseason game of his brief career. Bazzana will likely be in the lineup Sunday in a massive Game 5 against Tampa Bay on Sunday in Cleveland.
- Christopher Crawford

Recap

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Bryan Baker

TB Relief Pitcher #47
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Bryan Baker fired a scoreless ninth in the Rays’ win over the Guardians on Saturday in Game 4 of the ALCS.

Baker doesn’t get a save because a Yandy Diaz two-run homer in the ninth gave the Rays four-run lead. Something tells us that he didn’t mind. He did allow a hit to open his inning, but it was erased by a double play and he picked up a strikeout to end the festivities. Baker threw only 12 pitches, so there’s no reason to think he won’t be available in Game 5.
- Christopher Crawford

Recap

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