Padres Pitching Coach Provides Positive Yu Darvish Update After Big Step

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish took a step towards recovering from the elbow injury which has kept him on the injured list since spring training on Friday.

Darvish threw two simulated innings to Trenton Brooks and two minor leaguers after batting practice, throwing a total of 39 pitches.

“He looks good,” Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. “ … Velocity was good — 93, 94 the entire time. Pitch shapes look pretty good. So we’re pretty happy with it. … Next step is to see how he comes in tomorrow, see how he feels and then we’ll start building the plan for the next one.”

Darvish made one rehab appearance before today on May 14 against the Athletics Triple-A affiliate, however after the outing he felt a tightness in his elbow and was sidelined again. He lasted four innings, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out four. The two simulated innings he threw are the biggest step he has taken to returning since.

The right-hander also missed periods during the 2024 season, but was fantastic when he took the mound for the Padres. He made 16 starts and posted an ERA of 3.31 through 82 innings while striking out 78 batters. The last season where he made 30 or more starts, 2022, was even more impressive. Through 30 starts he had a 3.10 ERA through 194 innings and struck out 197 batters, placing him eighth in Cy Young voting.

The Padres would like Darvish back as soon as possible, as they are also without star starter Michael King, who has no timeline to return after he was scratched from his May 25 start against the Atlanta Braves.

Currently the Padres sit third in the NL West, and fall further behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by the game. They are six games back of the division leaders after losing three straight series, and kicked off a series against the Kansas City Royals with a loss on Friday. They've fallen out of the final NL Wild Card spot, and are half a game behind both the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals.

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