PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres right-hander Yu Darvish will miss the start of the season with right elbow inflammation -- news that has largely been expected since Darvish was shut down from throwing after his March 13 start and was confirmed by manager Mike Shildt on Friday.
Darvish has played catch twice since that start, but the Padres have decided to back him off his throwing program with an eye on the bigger picture. Shildt did not offer a timeline for Darvish¡¯s return, but he noted: ¡°We feel pretty comfortable that some rest and getting ramped back up will be the answer.¡±
Here¡¯s a look at what Darvish¡¯s injury means for the Padres:
Pitching depth gets an early test
The race for one place at the back end of the San Diego rotation is now a race for two spots.
The three pitchers currently in the mix: Kyle Hart, Stephen Kolek and Randy Vásquez. All three are scheduled to make one more Cactus League appearance.
Knuckleballer Matt Waldron is no longer a part of that race, after he sustained a left oblique strain that will keep him out through the early portion of the season. Jhony Brito was also part of the rotation battle early in camp, but the Padres have since made the decision to use him in a long-relief role. (Plus, Shildt also revealed on Friday that Brito has been dealing with some elbow soreness, and, like Darvish, has backed off throwing.)
Which leaves Hart, Kolek and V¨¢squez vying for the final two places in a rotation that will feature Michael King, Dylan Cease and Nick Pivetta at the top.
¡°Three guys that [were] competing for the last spot, [it] creates an opportunity to open up one more,¡± Shildt said. ¡°All those guys have worked really hard to put themselves in a good position. We still have a couple more days before we have to make some hard decisions.¡±
The Darvish progression
Darvish¡¯s early-season absence isn¡¯t ideal. But it¡¯s not entirely unexpected that he would miss time this season. Darvish will turn 39 this summer, and the Padres weren¡¯t under any illusions that he¡¯d make every scheduled start.
¡°The best-laid plans ¡ they don¡¯t always go in a perfectly straight line,¡± Shildt said. ¡°Yu¡¯s had a little bit of a setback, and we¡¯ll evaluate as it goes.¡±
Since signing his six-year extension prior to the 2023 campaign, Darvish has averaged 20 starts per season. The Padres wouldn¡¯t say it publicly, but that¡¯s been more or less what they¡¯d have been expecting from Darvish this year, too.
His 2023 season was cut short because of a bone spur in his right below. His ¡®24 campaign came with back, neck and elbow trouble, and he also missed a couple of months while on the restricted list tending to a personal matter.
Despite all that, Darvish was at his best for the Padres when they needed him most. He was strong down the stretch, then brilliant against the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.
If missing a few early-season starts is the price the Padres have to pay to get a dominant Darvish in September and October, they¡¯ll willingly pay it.
Injuries shape the bullpen race
The Padres have 23 pitchers in big league camp. It now seems likely that six of those 23 will open the season on the IL -- Darvish, Waldron, Brito, Joe Musgrove (Tommy John surgery), Bryan Hoeing (right shoulder soreness) and Sean Reynolds (right foot stress reaction).
So, there are 17 pitchers vying for 13 spots.
In addition to the two places available in the rotation, there are two spots open in the bullpen, following injuries to Hoeing and Reynolds. One of those places seems destined to go to Alek Jacob, who has been excellent this spring.
Shildt had said previously that the last bullpen spot was available to a starter who missed out in the rotation race. That seems less likely now, following the spate of injuries in the rotation. The Padres seem destined to send their No. 6 starter to Triple-A El Paso, where he can stay ready as insurance.
¡°I can¡¯t say that absolutely, because we do have competition for the end of the bullpen, and we want somebody who has some length to that,¡± Shildt said. ¡°I can¡¯t say this for sure, but the two starters that take the fourth and fifth spot -- the guy that¡¯s the odd man out, so to speak, would start in El Paso to be ready and built up.¡±