The San Diego Padres are hanging onto the 2023 season by a thread. After many picked them to win their division, they sit 22 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West standings and 7.5 games out of a playoff spot. Now, Yu Darvish has a bone spur in his elbow and Padres manager Bob Melvin said the team is shutting him down for a while, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

Darvish hasn't exactly been elite this season, but he is one of the core pieces of the Padres rotation. In 24 starts, he has a 4.56 ERA and 141 strikeouts. More likely than not, this will be the end of Darvish's season. Bob Melvin hasn't ruled him out, but with any return to the mound likely at least a couple of weeks away, the Padres would have to really put themselves within striking distance of the playoffs to justify reactivating the 37-year-old righty.

This has long looked like a dead season for San Diego, who has massively underperformed relative to both expectations and their huge payroll. With three other teams standing between the Padres and the third NL Wild Card spot, it's looking like San Diego will watch the postseason from the couch.

Yu Darvish already has a lot of miles on his arm. He also signed a six-year contract extension worth $108 million before the 2023 season. The Padres shouldn't risk further injury to try and sneak into the playoffs. It's a pipe dream, and even if they made the postseason, a quick exit is likely. They should protect their asset, as Darvish is under contract until he's 43.