Padres Place 8 Players on IL, Yu Darvish Goes on Restricted List Before Opening Day

The San Diego Padres have placed eight players on the injured list ahead of Opening Day, bringing their IL total to nine. Seven pitchers and two position players will begin the 2026 season on the IL for San Diego. Yu Darvish, however, will not be one of them.

Darvish was placed on the restricted list, meaning the Padres will not have to pay him for the time being.

Darvish underwent elbow surgery late last year and will miss the entire 2026 season. There were reports of him retiring and voiding the contract, but as of now, he hasn't made that decision. He has three years and $46 million remaining on his contract.

"You may have seen an article, and although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided," Darvish posted on social media this offseason.

"Also I will not be announcing my retirement yet. Right now I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow, and if I get to a point where I can throw again, I will start from scratch again to compete. If once I get to that point I feel I can’t do that, I will announce my retirement."

Darvish's decision to go on the restricted list could save the Padres the $16 million he was owed in 2026, freeing up payroll space for San Diego.

Padres Injured List

Pitchers

Jason Adam, RHP

Adam suffered a ruptured left quadriceps tendon last September. The All-Star made it into two Cactus League games this spring, pitching two perfect innings. He'll open the season on the 15-day IL but should be back sometime in April.

“Even though it looks good, we’ve got to be smart,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said of Adam. " ... We’ll see him sometime in April, most likely, if all things go the way they should go.”

Jhony Brito, RHP

Brito is recovering from major elbow surgery he underwent last April. He was placed on the 60-day IL in February. He's expected to be back sometime in the middle of the season.

Griffin Canning, RHP

Canning joined the Padres on a major league deal in February that guarantees him $2.5 million. He ruptured his Achilles last June and could return sometime in May or June of this season. He'll be on the 15-day IL for now, but will factor into the team's rotation plans when he's healthy.

Bryan Hoeing, RHP

Hoeing underwent elbow surgery this March, ending his 2026 season before it began. He'll spend the year on the 60-day IL (but is on the 15-day IL for now).

Yuki Matsui, LHP

Matsui suffered a groin injury in spring training that prevented him from representing Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He'll open the season on the 15-day IL but should be back sometime in April.

Joe Musgrove, RHP

Musgrove missed all of 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2024. He was expected to be back for the beginning of this season, but didn't bounce back from his March 4 exhibition start as expected. He'll open the season on the 15-day IL with no real timeline to return yet.

Matt Waldron, RHP

Waldron underwent hemorrhoid surgery early in camp, delaying his build-up this spring. He'll open the season on the 15-day IL, but should be able to return in April.

Position Players

Sung-Mun Song, INF

Song suffered an oblique injury in January, and then re-injured it during spring training. He's making progress but will open the season on the 15-day IL, targeting an April or May debut. He joined the Padres on a four-year, $15 million deal.

Will Wagner, INF

Wagner was shut down in spring training with an oblique injury. He doesn't currently have a timeline to return.

Padres Opening Day Roster Officially Revealed

The Padres have also announced their 26-man roster for Opening Day. There are no surprises.

Catchers (2)

Luis Campusano
Freddy Fermin

Infielders (7)

Miguel Andujar
Xander Bogaerts
Nick Castellanos
Jake Cronenworth
Ty France
Manny Machado
Gavin Sheets

Outfielders (4)

Bryce Johnson
Ramón Laureano
Jackson Merrill
Fernando Tatis Jr.

Pitchers (13)

Walker Buehler (RHP)
Jeremiah Estrada (RHP)
Kyle Hart (LHP)
Michael King (RHP)
Ron Marinaccio (RHP)
Germán Márquez (RHP)
Mason Miller (RHP)
Adrian Morejon (LHP)
David Morgan (RHP)
Wandy Peralta (LHP)
Nick Pivetta (RHP)
Bradgley Rodriguez (RHP)
Randy Vásquez (RHP)

Our 2026 Opening Day Roster. pic.twitter.com/aW4M0X8lEA
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 25, 2026