Yu Darvish May Not Pitch For Padres Until June: Report

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

The San Diego Padres are off to a hot start in what is already turning out to be a special season, but they are doing so with some key injuries on the roster.

All-Stars Jake Cronenworth, Jackson Merrill, and most recently Luis Arraez are all on the injured list, but one of the most integral veterans to the ball club has yet to make his pitching debut this season.

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Yu Darvish went from presumed Opening Day starter to taking a brief pause on his pitching progressions due to fatigue and then landing on the IL with elbow complications before the start of the 2025 campaign.

The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee expects the veteran to start throwing with more intensity in his bullpens this weekend, but so far has only thrown off the mound three times in what the insider called "glorified games of catch."

Acee revealed a few more steps Darvish needs to take before returning to the Padres and a somewhat grim timeline for those anxious to see the five-time All-Star in action.

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"Darvish will almost certainly need at least three or four bullpen sessions before progressing to facing hitters," said Acee. "At this point, his return would not come before late May or early June."

In Darvish's absence, the Padres have been holding their own as the pitching roster is producing the second lowest ERA in the league with a 2.90 mark. They are also second to last in runs allowed among the majors at 68.

Darvish is one of the most demonstrated veteran arms around the league with 12 seasons of experience, a career-ERA of 3.58, and a pair of top-2 finishes in Cy Young voting since 2013.

The goal for San Diego is not to rush back their veteran, but get him to a place where he can be dominant through the end of the regular season and into a deep October run. With his health as the number one priority, Acee's late May to June return date seems more likely than anything sooner.

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