Padres' Yu Darvish to Take 'Substantial Step' in Return to Mound

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, it's the second time Darvish will face live hitters since he was shut down from throwing in March. This time, Darvish was scheduled to throw 40 to 50 pitches across three simulated innings, per Acee.

Darvish, 7-3 with a 3.31 ERA last year, hasn't thrown a competitive inning for the Padres since spring training. He made two Cactus League starts, allowing six hits, three runs, and three walks across 6.2 innings.

After Darvish threw four innings against the Kansas City Royals on March 13, his right elbow was examined by an orthopedic surgeon.

Although Darvish was told he had no damage to his ligament and did not need surgery, the Padres opted for a conservative approach in welcoming Darvish back to the team.

"At times for Yu-san, less is more,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said in spring training. “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.”

The coming postseason isn't the only motivating factor in the Padres' approach to Darvish's injury. In February 2023, the veteran signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension with the Padres that runs through his age-42 season.

Darvish, 38, is owed $20 million this season, $15 million next year, and $14 million in 2027 and 2028.

While the Padres look to protect their investment, news that Darvish is facing hitters in any capacity is good news.

In a 13-year major league career (2012-24), Darvish is 110-88 with a 3.58 ERA.

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