2025 Injury Report: Updates on Cole, Darvish, Marsh

With Michael King and Dylan Cease currently free agents, the Padres were already somewhat short in the rotation in terms of bodies. That tentative rotation is now thinner in 2026, as Yu Darvish will likely miss all of next year recovering from elbow surgery.

Darvish done for 2026

The Padres announced that Yu Darvish underwent UCL brace surgery for his elbow, a procedure that’ll require at least 12 to 15 months for him to recover. It’ll cost Darvish the 2026 season.

Darvish had an injury-riddled 2025 season. He went down in May with elbow inflammation, had a setback later on, and didn’t return until July. When he was on the mound, Darvish had trouble getting outs, which led to a 5.38 ERA.

It’ll be yet another year where the Padres won’t have a significant pitcher available for the entirety of a season. This past year, Joe Musgrove missed all of 2025 after recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Darvish will have two more years left on his contract after 2026. He’ll turn 40 years old in August 2026.

Marsh underwent surgery

Royals pitcher Alec Marsh underwent right shoulder surgery (h/t MLB.com). The recovery will likely last a year, potentially meaning Marsh will miss the 2026 campaign.

It’ll be the second straight season that Marsh wouldn’t pitch at all. A right shoulder impingement cost him the 2025 campaign.

Cole threw at Yankee Stadium

Lost in the news during the 2025 World Series was Gerrit Cole‘s return to a mound at Yankee Stadium. Cole posted video of him throwing in the Yankee Stadium bullpen on social media.