Padres right-hander Yu Darvish has recently been slowed in camp. While it was initially conveyed that he had some general fatigue, manager Mike Shildt today provided a more specific and more ominous diagnosis. The skipper told members of the media, including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, that the veteran righty experienced elbow inflammation after his last start.
Shildt stopped short of saying Darvish would start the season on the injured list, describing him as day-to-day. Opening Day is just over a week away, so it’s a tight window. Any time a pitcher’s throwing elbow is involved, it’s a cause for some concern. In the case of Darvish, there may be even more concern than with some other hurlers.
Darvish has dealt with some elbow problems in the past. Tommy John surgery wiped out his entire 2015 season. He was largely health for years after that, though he hasn’t logged a huge workload in the past two seasons. He was capped at 24 starts and 136 1/3 innings in 2023. He landed on the IL in late August due to right elbow inflammation and stayed there to finish the year. In 2024, he only made 16 starts and tossed 81 2/3 innings. He missed time due to neck tightness, a groin strain, some more inflammation in that throwing elbow and an undisclosed personal issue.
That makes this the third straight season that Darvish has battled some elbow inflammation. For a pitcher who is now 38 years old, that’s less than ideal. It’s especially worrisome since rotation depth is one of the key issues on the San Diego roster. The Friars already lost Joe Musgrove for the entire season, as he required Tommy John surgery in October.
Losing Musgrove left the Padres with a rotation core of Darvish, Michael King and Dylan Cease. They signed Nick Pivetta to fill one of the back-end spots. Coming into camp, candidates for the final spot including Matt Waldron, Kyle Hart, Randy Vásquez and Stephen Kolek. However, Waldron is out of commission due to an oblique strain. Hart has also been delayed by the flu and is behind the rest of the group in terms of building up. If Darvish needs to miss some time at the start of the season, that would seemingly leave two spots open behind the King/Cease/Pivetta trio.
If it’s just a short-term absence, the overall group could look stronger in a few weeks, with both Waldron and Darvish perhaps back in the mix. A more serious issue would naturally have bigger impacts. Both Cease and King are impending free agents. That means Pivetta and Darvish are the on-paper rotation nucleus for 2026. Musgrove could be back in the mix by then but may have some workload issues after missing all of 2025. Darvish is still under contract through 2028, as part of the extension he signed with the club in 2023.
It’s also possible this could impact the trade market. San Diego has notable budgetary concerns and various parts of the roster they would like to upgrade. That has led to rumors about Cease or King being available, though Cease’s name has come up far more often. It would be a tricky balance for San Diego to strike, as they would have to feel that reducing their rotation depth is worth it for multiple upgrades at left field, first base or designated hitter.
Presumably, Darvish being hurt would reduce the chances of a Cease deal in the short term, as it would be even harder to justify a rotation subtraction. Closer to the deadline, that calculus could change if the Padres don’t manage to compete. As mentioned, both Cease and King are impending free agents and would be natural trade candidates this summer if San Diego slips behind the other National League contenders.
Photo courtesy Mark J. Rebilas of Imagn Images
Just searching on this site for ‘elbow inflammation’, it looks like the odds of that turning into TJ surgery is like 50/50. Hopefully that’s not the case here.
I hope he doesn’t have to go through that again. He’s probably my favorite non Cubs player. Or favorite former Cubs player. He helped the Cubs recruit Seiya Suzuki and Mike Imanaga II. I believe he also tried to sell Roki on Chicago as well.
Hoping for a fast and full recovery for Yu.
Ditto, but for a 38 year old, that might spell the end.
Very much agreed. I miss him on the Cubs.
ESPN reported he played catch today, so let’s hope for a quick recovery
He actually played catch before Shildt announced the elbow inflammation
“He was largely health for years after that,..”
Dagwood, let’s focus on 2025, this could be a serious injury and if so, the Padres need to make adjustments to accommodate the best they can.
Being allowed to long toss today doesn’t sound like it’s serious.
True. It’s not a G. Cole or Gil type of thing…that would’ve been worse.
Darvish is nearing the end stage of his impressive pitching career.
Too bad it’s not a scraped knee. He could just rub some dirt on it and it would be fine.
Ruh-roh
Ruh roh.
This bodes ill. TJS still has only the 7-8 year warranty.
Let’s hope for the best
May have to hang on to Cease.
Looks like Cease was staying put anyhow since the only player to return a top tier prospect (actually 2) was Crochet in these past couple years. Prospects are being hoarded in general with most team goals being to qualify for expanded WC…..and go on a roll with division titles meaning less.
I’m still loving the Crochet trade as a White Sox fan, what a haul. Wikelman Gonzalez is going to light up AAA this season.
Noooooooo
Prellar sure wishes he had weathers in his back pocket still with the spring he’s having. Might of actually won 10+ games this year too.
Lol a good spring
Weathers is no joke. Don’t sleep on the defacto one in Miami once alcantara is flipped. He’s just not winning ten games with the marlins.
Weathers has an 11/8 K/W in ST. That kind of stinks.
I guess the .79 era is just an accident then.
It is an accident with those K/W rates. Won’t hold once a meaningful sample of innings is complete
Twenty years from now, pitchers on his level will be in the Hall of Fame. Because winning 100 games will be like winning 300 used to be. And there will be 3 to 4 TJ surgeries per pitcher.
Love how mlbtr squeezed in a Cease trade angle into this little story
I literally came here to post this lol.
Darvish is one of the good Padres, I hope he’s ok and healthy this season.
“Is one of the good padres.” What does that even mean? lol who hurt you?
Jurickson Profar hurt DanglinDickers.
Lol…you mean when Profar and a few other Pads players acting like douchers thinking they had the NLDS wrapped up and won? I enjoyed watching them taunt the LA fans just to see them lose.
Padres seem like they’ve been getting worse abd worse each year they plsy the “I cry poor” game. Obviously this one isn’t on them, but I doubt the Padres replace Darvish with the ace they need.
Sick of whiny posters who won’t pay mlbtr 10 cents a day for their sports information, comments entertainment, and no MLBTR ads. Fixed. Whew.
Nope. Won’t pay a cent for these writers. Come here for the comments. For people who don’t moderate posts or give me any other benefit, i don’t have money for. I pay for a lot of other things, don’t need to waste it here. Most of the posters, like yourself, have a chip on their shoulder. You’re not better because you pay, believe me.
And Dr Attrache gets richer.