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The San Diego Padres were anticipating a significant addition to the starting rotation when Yu Darvish began a rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso on May 14. It was Darvish’s first game action since spring training, and he appeared to be on the verge of coming off the injured list and making his 2025 season debut for the Padres.
However, the veteran ace experienced a setback in his recovery. “The 38-year-old right-hander looked sharp and strong throwing 51 pitches in four innings in his May 14 rehab start, but he felt ‘tight’ in his elbow afterward and does not feel ready to pitch in a Major League game,” according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune via Talking Friars on X.
“Mostly, he is not confident he would recover well enough to make repeated starts, and he does not want to compromise the Padres’ rotation,” Acee added.
Padres could be without veteran ace Yu Darvish indefinitely
While the news is certainly disheartening for the Padres, the situation could take an even more depressing turn as “Darvish is expected to be examined in the coming days to affirm his elbow is structurally sound,” per Acee.
And just like that, the Padres have gone from adding a five-time All-Star to the rotation to being without Darvish indefinitely.
The 13-year veteran’s injury woes began in spring training when he experienced elbow inflammation, and the Padres shut him down. The Padres started the season with Darvish on the IL, moving forward with a rotation led by Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Nick Pivetta.
It appeared Darvish crossed a significant hurdle in his return from injury when he began a throwing program at the Padres’ training complex in Arizona in early May. The big righty was progressing well through his rehab, leading to his first start for Triple-A.
Now Darvish and the Padres face uncertainty regarding the pitcher’s availability moving forward. San Diego has been holding its own in the highly competitive NL West. The team is 28-21 and three games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers entering play on Saturday.
However, the Padres hit a skid recently, losing six straight games as San Diego lost via three-games sweeps to the Seattle Mariners and the Toronto Blue Jays. A strong performance from Pivetta against the Atlanta Braves on Friday, in which he allowed just one run on four hits in six innings, helped the team end the slide.
While the Padres do boast a talented starting rotation, the addition of Darvish would certainly help, particularly given the talent in their division.
