Padres Manager Reveals Next Steps as Yu Darvish Nears Return

San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish has continued his recovery from elbow inflammation that began in spring training, and manager Mike Shildt shared updates on the veteran managing his rehabilitation.

The Padres have started the season strong and possess a pitching staff that is performing more than effectively a quarter of the way through; however, the team is poised to receive a significant boost soon.

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Darvish threw 48 pitches in a simulated game Thursday and felt good afterward, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The Padres are set to determine if Darvish is prepared for a complete rehab start within the next week or two.

Could Yu Darvish bypass making Minor League rehab starts and return to the Padres sooner than expected? @erikgreupner said that's being discussed internally this morning on @BenAndWoods: pic.twitter.com/EsrW45Gt9j
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) May 9, 2025

Darvish could potentially be ready to make his season debut unless the team and player decide it is necessary to have an additional start.

The process for the coming weeks assumes that Darvish does not experience any setbacks along the way; however, the team decided to allow the 38-year-old pitcher to dictate the recovery from the elbow injury.

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“I think we’re gonna trust a guy who has 200 professional wins and 3,000 career strikeouts to create that path,” Shildt told reporters.

“He’s definitely getting closer. We’ll catch up with him tomorrow and see when his (bullpen) is — whether it’s Sunday or Monday — and what takes place after that. … If Darvish got to 65 pitches and we know the next (start) he could get to 80, we could consider that. I don’t think, but it could end up being the case where he (and) we feel like it’s good he’s built up to 80, 85 for his first outing. That’s what the conversations will be the next couple days.”

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Yu Darvish throwing pregame hopefully he’s back soon pic.twitter.com/BIyW4mjs0a
— jeremy (@jeremyphawkins) April 23, 2025

Darvish is entering the season as a 38-year-old, no spring chicken at this point, with thousands of pitches on his resume, but he is still able to provide quality starts consistently for the team.

Additionally, during the playoffs, he offers a steady arm that has performed well in high-pressure situations. The Padres know that the priority is to have Darvish in the postseason.

The Friars will need the right-hander on the march to October, especially if they want to contend with the impressive Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.