The San Diego Padres had an offseason that was both uneventful and perplexing. While most teams were actively improving their rosters, San Diego remained largely inactive, making just one notable signing—right-hander Nick Pivetta—due to uncertainties surrounding team ownership that hindered additional free-agent acquisitions. Despite swirling trade speculation, the Padres opted to retain key pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King, a decision that has now taken on added importance.
Just as the team was preparing to start the season, they were hit with an unexpected setback. Veteran pitcher Yu Darvish is dealing with an elbow injury that could sideline him at the beginning of the season. San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Kevin Acee broke the news on Tuesday, revealing that Darvish experienced inflammation in his elbow after his last start.
“Yu Darvish played catch today. However, Mike Shildt revealed today that Darvish experienced elbow inflammation after his last start,” Acee reported. “Shildt called Darvish’s status day to day but could not rule out it could affect the start of his season.”
The timing of the injury is concerning for the Padres, who are already dealing with rotation depth issues. Darvish, who signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension with the team in 2023, has struggled to stay fully healthy in recent seasons. While he hasn’t made a full slate of starts since 2022, he has remained effective when on the mound. Last year, he started 16 regular-season games, posting a strong 3.31 ERA. He was even better in the postseason, throwing 13.2 innings over two NLDS starts while allowing just three earned runs.
Though there remains a chance Darvish could return in time for his first scheduled start, the Padres may opt to take a cautious approach given his age—he turns 39 later this season. With long-term durability in mind, they may prioritize his availability for the stretch run and potential playoff push rather than rushing him back prematurely. This strategy will be particularly crucial if San Diego eventually decides to trade Cease or King midseason, a move that remains a possibility.
Compounding the Padres’ problems, Darvish isn’t the only pitcher struggling with health concerns. Fellow starter Matt Waldron suffered an oblique strain in spring training, an injury that could sideline him for the first month of the season. With the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers already off to a dominant start in their season-opening series in Tokyo, the Padres will need to find a way to stay competitive from day one. Their schedule does them no favors either, as they open the season with a challenging series against the Atlanta Braves.
For a team that stayed mostly quiet during the offseason, the Padres are now facing early adversity that will test the depth of their pitching staff. If these injuries linger or additional setbacks arise, San Diego may be forced to make midseason moves to bolster their rotation—something they had hoped to avoid when they retained their key arms over the winter.
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