Joe Musgrove exits start for Padres, will undergo elbow tests

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres' National League Wild Card Series-clinching win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night came with a cost, as starter Joe Musgrove exited early because of an elbow injury.

Musgrove threw two slow curveballs to fall behind Matt Olson 2-1 with two outs in the fourth inning and was visited by pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Manager Mike Shildt and an athletic trainer joined them and Musgrove came out.

The team later said he was removed because of right elbow tightness.

Speaking after the 5-4 Game 2 win, Musgrove said he'll have testing done on the elbow Thursday with hopes he's able to pitch in the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. That best-of-five series begins Saturday in Los Angeles.

"He said he would do everything he can, which I wouldn't put nothing past Joe Musgrove to come back," Padres manager MikeShildt said. "But something didn't feel right in his elbow. Structurally they feel like he's OK, but we'll get more evaluation as we go."

Musgrove participated in both the on-field celebration and the wild clubhouse party afterward.

"If you're not a pitcher, it's very difficult to explain. I just had a hard time getting to full extension and letting pitches go," Musgrove said. "There wasn't a whole lot of confidence behind it. I had two outs in the inning. I was hoping to be able to get through the inning and then address it in between, but I didn't make it to that point."

Musgrove, who grew up in suburban El Cajon, has battled elbow problems all season. He had had two stints on the injured list because of right elbow inflammation, costing him a total of 63 games. His second stint sidelined him for 2 months.

He went 6-5 with a 3.88 ERA during the regular season.

Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in Padres history on April 9, 2021, in his second start with his hometown team after being acquired in an offseason trade with Pittsburgh.

Also Wednesday, Braves left-hander Max Fried departed his start after two innings. He was hit on his left hip on a line drive from Fernando Tatis Jr. two batters into the game. He stayed in and got out of a bases-loaded jam. He then gave up five runs on six straight hits with two outs in the second. Dylan Lee took over starting the third.

"It was his hip," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "As the inning wore on it affected him. The longer he was out there, the worse he got."

Fried was a first-round draft pick of the Padres in 2012. He was traded to Atlanta in a six-player deal in December 2014. He made his big league debut on Aug. 8, 2017. He started and won the clinching Game 6 of the 2021 World Series against Houston.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.