Padres' Yu Darvish Not Ready to Discuss Whether He'll Return Next Season

A long and disappointing season for Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish came to an end Thursday after he was pulled in the second inning of the Padres' Game 3 loss, which eliminated them from the playoffs.

“It’s obviously very disappointing,” Darvish said through an interpreter after the game. “I was full-go from first pitch, but things just didn’t turn our way. You know, it’s a sad thing, too, that you know this group will not all be together come next season.

"I just couldn't command the ball the way that I wanted to in the second inning."

Darvish pitched a good first inning, but fell apart in the second. Darvish allowed back-to-back hits to open the inning before hitting a batter on the third at-bat to load the bases. On the next at-bat, Pete Crow-Armstrong singled to centerfield and Padres manager Mike Shildt had seen enough, sending in relief pitcher Jeremiah Estrada.

"The hit by pitch by Carson was a little bit of a red flag that maybe not as sharp, so we got Estrada up," Shildt said after the game. "Armstrong gets one in there, and that was it."

It was a long road to get onto the mound Thursday for Darvish, who didn't make his first appearance this season until July after suffering an elbow injury during Spring Training. Now, the 39-year-old has a decision to make regarding his future as a pro.

Darvish is still set to be on the Padres' payroll through 2028, and said after the game that he was not ready to make a decision whether he is going to hang it up.

"I mean, we just got through — we just lost, our season just ended," Darvish said. "That's something I'll go into the offseason and think about. I can't really wrap my mind around that right now."

Regardless of Darvish's performance in the second inning, he's earned the respect of his Padres teammates for the way he battled to get on the mound this season.

“I’ve seen him for years now and the things he does for this organization, mostly for the team, to go out there and pitch,” Padres third baseman Manny Machado said. “Obviously, this year has been very hard for him. We see day in (and) day out, what he’s doing. I get first-hand to see it.  And sometimes you just can’t go. And he pushed through it. He figured things out. He figured a way to go out there and compete for us. I mean, I got nothing but respect."

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