The San Diego Padres have been without starting pitcher Yu Darvish since May. Darvish, who first went to the injured list with a left groin strain, has been on the restricted list since July 6 due to a personal matter.
While his status has remained uncertain and few details have emerged about the nature of his most recent absence, the Padres just got a significant update on whether or not Darvish will return for them this season from Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
“Yu Darvish is working out now, and the hope is Darvish — one of the best people in the game — can return to the red-hot Padres in September,” Heyman said. “One person close to him guessed a return this year is “50-50” and another thought it’s better than that.”
Heyman then provided more clarity on why Darvish is out, confirming that it is due to an “undisclosed family matter.”
This is great news for the Padres, who even in Darvish's absence have been one of the hottest teams in baseball. The Padres have won 19 of their last 22 games and are now just tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks at two games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
What getting Yu Darvish back would mean for the Padres
Before initially going on the injured list in May, the 37-year-old Darvish was turning back the clock putting together a vintage performance. Through 11 starts, Darvish had a 3.20 ERA and was leading the Padres pitching staff. So far, San Diego has been able to weather the storm without Darvish, and fellow starting pitcher Joe Musgrove for the past few months. Musgrove just made his return, and looked great coming off of an elbow injury.
With Darvish potentially back in the fold, the Padres would have one of, if not the best postseason rotation in all of Major League Baseball. A foursome of Dylan Cease, Darvish, Musgrove and Michael King would strike fear into any potential postseason opponent.
Darvish has the most postseason experience out of anyone on the Padres' staff, and would provide a much-needed presence in the dugout in addition to what he would bring on the mound. The Padres have certainly been great without Darvish, but his addition to the rotation would instantly raise San Diego's ceiling and help make them legitimate World Series contenders instead of just a surprising team on a hot streak.
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