Padres Insider Provides Latest Yu Darvish Injury Update

Oct 11, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish (11) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish, who has been sidelined with right elbow inflammation since spring training, took another step towards making his 2025 season debut.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Darvish played catch on the field Friday, and stated he could throw a bullpen for the first time since his rehab assignment in Las Vegas.

Darvish made two starts in spring training before his elbow injury.

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Darvish made one rehab start with Triple-A El Paso May 14, allowing two runs on two hits through four innings. After the outing, Darvish felt tightness in his elbow, which has stagnated his recovery and pushed his long-awaited return to the Friars even further back.

This season is Darvish's fifth with the Padres, and the second consecutive season where an injury has shortened his season. He spent time on the injured list in 2024, twice with groin strains and once in April 2024 with neck tightness. He still posted strong numbers despite his injury struggles, however, boasting a 7-3 record through 16 starts with a 3.31 ERA and 78 strikeouts.

Since arriving in San Diego, Darvish has been a force in the Padres rotation. He has a 3.79 ERA during his time with the Padres, and averages 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings with the club. He received All-Star honors with the Padres in 2021 and finished eighth in National League Cy Young award voting in 2022.

Darvish made the All-Star team in all of his first three years in MLB with the Texas Rangers, and finished as runner-up for the 2013 American League Cy Young Award. He is currently seventh on the active list of MLB strikeout leaders and has a career strikeouts per nine innings mark of 10.6, good for sixth among pitchers with at least 1000 innings pitched.

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With fellow starter Michael King joining him on the injured list May 25, the Padres rotation has grown even thinner than it already was. Starters Joe Musgrove and Matt Waldron are also on the injured list. The Padres will hope Darvish can overcome his injury and return to the team as they are in the first of two stretches of 13 games in 13 days before the end of June.

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