Padres Make Massive Yu Darvish and Michael King Announcement

Nevertheless, the veteran is set to make his long-awaited season debut Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Padres activated Darvish off the injured list, and transferred Michael King to the 60-day IL.

The team also announced left-handed pitcher Kyle Hart was optioned to Triple-A El Paso.

Darvish began the season on the IL with elbow inflammation, and the uncertainty surrounding his timeline to return was a huge loss for the Padres pitching staff.

The Padres intended to begin the 2025 campaign with King, Dylan Cease, Darvish, and Nick Pivetta as their first four starters, but injuries sidelined two staples of the rotation.

King landed on the IL with a pinched nerve in May, and the latest roster move does not bode well for the Friars.

King is not expected to return to the rotation for some time, and his slow recovery raises questions as to whether president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will pursue a starting pitcher on the trade market this summer.

Darvish, the soon-to-be 39-year-old, is a critical piece to the Padres' postseason endeavors. Last season, the five-time All-Star went 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA, 78 strikeouts, and a 1.065 WHIP across 81.2 innings pitched.

The veteran's most recent sample of work was during the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was dominant in his two postseason outings, allowing one run in seven innings during Game 2 and two runs in 6.2 innings in Game 5.

Since the NLDS, Darvish has not taken the mound for the Friars.

The Padres have been extremely cautious with Darvish's recovery as the team prioritizes his health for the postseason.

“At times for Yu-san, less is more,” Preller said in the offseason. “And I think for us in terms of understanding, hey, the most important thing is what we saw last year when he was pitching in October. Yu Darvish in October is obviously a very talented and capable pitcher — seeing what he did in L.A. in two starts.

"So I think for us, it’s like understanding that, like, yeah, the World Series isn’t played in April or May. These games are important. But we’re gonna try and do everything we can … to make sure he is as prepared as he can to go perform at a high level.”

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