Padres' Yu Darvish 'Knocking On The Door' Of Return

Yu Darvish has yet to pitch this season but the five-time All-Star starting right-hander is reportedly nearing a return.

Darvish has been recovering from an elbow injury since spring training. The Padres sent him on a rehab assignment on May 14, and he is expected to return sometime in July.

However, while Darvish has been on the IL, San Diego has looked to other starting pitchers to fill the rotation.

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Right-hander Matt Waldron stepped up when right-hander Ryan Bergert went down with a forearm bruise on June 24. Stephen Kolek earned his starting spot in May and has posted a 3.73 ERA through 11 starts.

Meanwhile, right-handers Dylan Cease, Randy Vásquez and Nick Pivetta have been constants in the rotation all season. With Darvish and Bergert set to return soon, the Padres need to decide which five starters will make up the rotation.

“It always can be somewhat fluid,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said, via MLB's AJ Cassavell. “We’ve had Kolek who’s taken the ball and literally not given it back to anybody else and pitched really well. Bergert was getting to that spot when he got hurt. But we do have Darvish, who’s knocking back on the door.”

The Padres will finish their series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, then will be back in San Diego for a 10-game homestand before the All-Star break.

Darvish could return to the rotation at some point during that homestand. The All-Star break would give him a chance to rest after starting to pitch again.

Bergert is expected to return as soon as he finishes his minimum 15-day stint on the IL. He sustained the forearm bruise after being hit by a line drive, but his X-rays found no damage to his forearm.

Bergert has been in and out of the rotation since making his MLB debut on April 26, with the Padres optioning him twice this season. But the rookie has excelled in the Major Leagues, posting a 2.67 ERA and 23 strikeouts in five starts and nine overall appearances.

Darvish, on the other hand, is a 12-season MLB veteran and has been in San Diego’s rotation for four seasons.

The Padres have some upcoming decisions to make, but having too many worthy starting pitchers than the rotation can hold is not a bad situation to be in.

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