San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish made his return to the mound on Monday in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, marking his season debut after sitting out due to inflammation in his right elbow. Although his performance was not his best, it provided a foundation for the Padres’ much-needed right-handed pitching. Darvish pitched three innings, gave up two runs on four hits, struck out five, and walked three, throwing 63 pitches with 41 strikes. Early in the game, he demonstrated his classic breakball by striking out the first batter, Corbin Carroll. Over the course of his outing, Darvish utilized eight different pitches, with curveballs making up 22% of his throws. He recorded 12 strikeouts using five distinct pitches, including five sweepers, while his fastball velocity reached up to 95.9 mph, closely matching his average velocity from last season.
Before this, Darvish had only one rehab appearance where he pitched four innings for San Diego’s Triple-A team, throwing 51 pitches and allowing two runs on two hits and a walk. Manager Mike Schilt noted that Darvish’s return was planned and came from a physical recovery standpoint. Signed through the 2028 season, Darvish has been limited to 40 starts over the past two seasons after finishing eighth in the Cy Young Award voting in 2022. Now in the later stage of his international career, he has made five All-Star teams and has accumulated over 33 wins above replacement according to baseball references.
Darvish joins the list of Padres’ notable starters currently sidelined, including Joe Musgrove (out for the season due to Tommy John surgery), Michael King (shoulder inflammation), and Ryan Bergert (forearm contusions). The Padres entered Monday’s game with a 48-41 record, tied with the San Francisco Giants for the third and final National League wild-card spot.
Fan Take: Yu Darvish’s return is a beacon of hope for Padres fans eager for stability in their pitching rotation. His ability to regain form after injury highlights the importance of pitching depth in a highly competitive league and could influence how teams manage veteran pitchers moving forward.
