SAN DIEGO —The most surprising postseason roster decision Tuesday was not Aaron Judge being off the New York Yankees’ roster and Giancarlo Stanton on it, but in San Diego.
Starter Joe Musgrove, who has been sidelined for nearly two years recovering from Tommy John surgery, not pitching in a Major League Baseball game since Oct. 2, 2024, was placed on the Padres’ postseason roster ahead of their best-of-three wild card series against the Chicago Cubs.
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Musgrove, who faced hitters twice in the past five days while hitting 97-mph on the radar gun with control of his breaking pitches, will be another valuable piece in the Padres bullpen.
The Padres became cautiously optimistic he could return when he pitched in an instructional league game last Tuesday and then batting practice three days later.
He replaces Randy Vásquez, who threw 68 pitches over six innings on Sunday in the season finale, on the roster. Wandy Peralta and Griffin Canning were also left off the postseason roster.
The gamble with Musgrove is that he likely won’t be able to pitch in back-to-back games.
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Musgrove, 33, the San Diego native who has pitched the Padres’ lone no-hitter in franchise history, was hoping to return this season but he had several setbacks while trying to return as a starter. He since has pitched in shorter stints as a reliever.
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MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
The New York Yankees lead the pack by a wide margin with 27 World Series titles, the most championships in major American professional sports. They’re followed by the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won the Fall Classic 11 times, while the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers have catapulted into the No. 3 spot with their ninth championship − and third in the last five years − in 2025. Also tied for third-most World Series are the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics. The A’s former neighbors across the Bay, the San Francisco Giants, are fourth (eight championships). The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates round out the top five with five titles apiece. Here’s a complete ranking of every MLB club by World Series titles:
(Bettmann, Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
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MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
The New York Yankees lead the pack by a wide margin with 27 World Series titles, the most championships in major American professional sports. They’re followed by the St. Louis Cardinals, who have won the Fall Classic 11 times, while the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Dodgers have catapulted into the No. 3 spot with their ninth championship − and third in the last five years − in 2025. Also tied for third-most World Series are the Boston Red Sox and the Athletics. The A’s former neighbors across the Bay, the San Francisco Giants, are fourth (eight championships). The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates round out the top five with five titles apiece. Here’s a complete ranking of every MLB club by World Series titles:
(Bettmann, Bettmann Archive via Getty Images)
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MLB teams ranked by their World Series championships
