Darvish makes the most of a full Spring Training

PEORIA, Ariz. -- For as talented as Yu Darvish was early in his career, he seemingly has gotten better with age.

Between his meticulous preparation for the rigors of a long season and how he has adapted to remain a considerable force on the mound well into the later stages of his career, Darvish has maintained a level of competitiveness that is rare among players in their late 30s.

“I’ve had the privilege of being with Darvish on this part of his journey, and had the privilege to compete against him for years,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “You can always tell this guy goes out early, and you see how he goes about [his business]. You get there, walk on the field at 1 o’clock, and there’s Yu Darvish doing some work before everyone else.

"Those habits that he was able to form in his 20s and early 30s set him up for success to have a long, prosperous career.”

Darvish understands that he, like everyone else, isn’t invincible. The past two seasons have proven as much.

His 2023 campaign ended in September, when a stress reaction in his right elbow shut him down after he posted a 4.56 ERA in 24 starts. He missed a large chunk of last season due to neck tightness that landed him on the injured list in April and a left groin strain at the end of May before he was placed on the restricted list at the beginning of July due to a personal matter.

Darvish finished with a 3.31 ERA in 81 2/3 innings over 16 starts and was terrific in his two appearances against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. But it has been an arduous past couple of years for the 38-year-old, who is entering his 20th professional season, 13th in the Majors and fifth as a member of the Padres.

At this point in his career, it’s all about staying healthy, which takes exactly what you would expect.

“One thing is diet, being cognizant of what you’re putting in your body.” Darvish said. “Obviously, the sleep -- you have to get a good night's sleep. Also, I think it’s about the training. What is it that your body needs on a given day and go about it.

“I’ve always done those things, but I think I’m a little bit more careful with it now. Just a little bit more detail-oriented.”

With the Padres’ potential Opening Day lineup behind him, Darvish dealt 2 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his first Spring Training start of 2025 -- a 7-2 Padres win over the Guardians on Saturday afternoon.

The Padres have given Darvish, and the rest of their top starters, a long runway to build up this spring. Saturday may have been Darvish’s first Cactus League outing, but he has made appearances in B games on the back fields and has gotten plenty of extra reps in between. That set him up for a 57-pitch outing in his first stadium outing of the spring.

It also helps that this year is a return to normalcy of sorts for the Padres and Darvish, who had the World Baseball Classic in 2023 and the Seoul Series in ’24 affect their preparations for the regular season. Darvish acknowledged the importance of having that extra time.

“It’s been an eventful Spring Training the last couple of years,” Darvish said. “But just to be able to settle down in Arizona for the whole spring and be able to get ready for the season, I think that’s very good for me.”

Making sure Darvish is as healthy and as ready as he possibly can be for the season ahead is a top priority for the Padres considering they will once again rely heavily on him to help anchor the rotation.

“He had a really good offseason, as is typical with Yu,” Shildt said. “He’s very intentional about his work. He came into spring with a real clear plan, been able to stay on that plan.

“I think he’s in a really good place and coming out really good. He’s taking steps in the right direction to get ready for the season.”