The Padres are shutting down Yu Darvish for the rest of the season, skipper Bob Melvin told reporters (including Dennis Lin of the Athletic). Testing revealed an olecranon stress reaction in the veteran righty’s throwing elbow.
Darvish has been on the injured list since August 26. The issue was first diagnosed as inflammation. The stress reaction is more serious, though it’s expected that Darvish will be able to rehab the injury without surgery. There’s little reason for the Friars to take chances with any notable player now that their playoff hopes are dashed.
The 37-year-old Darvish is a key rotation member beyond this season. Last winter, San Diego signed him to an extension which tacked on five years and $90MM in new money. It’s a bold investment that runs through the pitcher’s age-41 campaign.
While Darvish was coming off a 3.10 ERA showing last season, he didn’t replicate that production in 2023. He concludes his year with a 4.56 ERA across 24 starts and 136 1/3 innings. His underlying marks didn’t have the same level of decline, however. Darvish’s fastball velocity still sat just under 95 MPH on average. His strikeout rate dropped just one percentage point from 25.6% to 24.6%, while he lost less than one point on his swinging strike percentage. He issued a few more walks and allowed a bit more hard contact, but his profile beyond the ERA doesn’t look all that different from prior seasons.
It’s crucial for the Padres that Darvish perform at a mid-rotation or better level next year. The Friars have plenty of uncertainty in the starting staff. Blake Snell is headed to free agency. Seth Lugo is almost certain to join him by declining a $7.5MM player option. Each of Michael Wacha and Nick Martinez (the latter of whom has again worked almost exclusively in relief anyways) have complex options on their contracts but could potentially hit free agency themselves.
Darvish and Joe Musgrove — who is also on the injured list and might not return this season — are the only pitchers assured of spots in next year’s rotation. The upcoming free agent class is deep in starting pitching, so president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and his staff figure to add two or more arms from the open market.
Going, going, he’s gone!
YU GONE 🙂
This guy would literally be a top ten pitcher and Cy Young caliber player every year if he weren’t injured. Seems like every year he has some sort of setback.
Maybe he will be healthier his age 38 39 40 41 seasons.
Padres fans will be thrilled with even “2 out of 4”!!!!!!!!
So he has a stress fracture in his elbow.
hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases….
That would hurt like hades.
Anthony, why are you assuming that the Padres will lose all 3 of Snell, Wacha, and Lugo?
Or are you just considering them to be on the open market because Wacha and Lugo will probably opt out?
Wacha is a team option 2/32. May not exercise it but ripe for a 3/40 negotiating opportunity to help both sides. Seemed to do well in SD bit injury history might make 2/32 hard to do.
Lugo probably listens to a reasonable 2 or 3 year deal from Padres since they gave him the chance to start and he too, seemed to prosper and be happy in SD.
Preller is the king of player options! Might as well try with Lugo the way he has pitched in 2023. With a lower AAV than a lot of the full time starters I like the idea.
Waino gets 199! Sorry to intrude on a Padres thread. But f#@K ya!
Congrats but going out on a nearly 8 ERA and 2 WHIP – is really worth a few more wins for a guy that has his career before 2023 started?
Whatever works for him though. He earned the right to give ot another go – just like Rich Hill. Go until they won’t let you in the park if you like.
I will say this, and I will take whatever heat it brings. Knizner should have been Waino’s personal catcher all season. I’m not saying it would have made a huge difference, but it would have been Waino’s best chance at success. As usual, front office ego comes before on-field success.
It’s always smart to lock down a 37 year old for 6 more seasons when you get the chance
Well, it could be worse – Scherzer or Verlander contracts?
Those end, relatively speaking, sooner. Much sooner.
Still one of the Padres better contracts. At least it’s “only” 5 years and 90 million.
I cringed at this contract the moment they announced it. Way too long.
Darvish is 36 this season. He has 5 more years on his deal. He was coming off a 3.10 ERA season with 194 IP when he was signed to that deal. One of the very best in baseball. His $18 million AAV is not in the top 50 highest paid players in AAV and is around #50 on the list of highest paid pitchers.
Rich Hill is in his age 43 season. Verlander is in his age 40 season. Charlie Morton his age 39 season. Scherzer his age 39 season.
Are you trying to say that Darvish cannot pitch as long as they did?
That’s nice but the “low AAV” excuse doesn’t work when you have two other terrible contracts with the same logic in Cronenworth and Xander
They don’t have any terrible contracts. Until they are OVER you can’t say one way or another how they will work out. Period.
Try again. That garbage doesn’t work with me.
Probably not. The list of successful pitchers at ages 36-41 is pretty small.
The list of pitchers who did what Darvish did at age 35 is pretty small. Depending on your definition of successful, it’s pretty the SAME list as the list of successful pitchers 36-41.
Why do you think the Padres gave him that long of a contract instead the $27-28 million deal over 3-4 years that most expected? Do you think that they REALLY think that he will be effective at age 41? Or MAYBE could it be because they know he would have received $108 million for 4 years and this gave them a lower AAV so they could sign someone else?
It ain’t the worst money padres have spent
How in the heck did he continue to pitch with a hairline fracture in his elbow. I had one in my wrist and couldn’t eat with that hand for 2 months. How could he still throw a baseball?
Don’t tell me the Padres are giving up.
How does the Padres keep his job? So much money spent for such a poor result?
Or will this winter be the time the O’Malley/Seidler gets real and, like the Nets, sell off their unproductive and pricey veterans and reset the organization in a more cost-effective way?
*Padres GM, Preller.
2 playoffs in 4 years. 3+ million fans and sold-out stadium 60 times this season.
The GM puts the team together and Preller put a great one together. The manager is responsible for what happens on the field and in the clubhouse.
GM’s don’t spend money that the owner does not sign off on. The amount of money spent is on the owner and you can’t fire him. In fact, Padres fans are praising him for being pretty much the first one ever to spend in large amounts.
I’m shutting Yu down.
Me? I’m completely healthy!
No, Yu.
I said I’m healthy you…
No, he isn’t.
You said me.
No, Yu.
…and so on.
cspackler where’s my money punk? 2 years left..
mlbtraderumors.com/2023/02/padres-manny-machado-fi…
So you can’t tell the difference between 7 months and 3 years? Did you notice that the Padres farm system is already in the top 10 again?
Just so you know that guy worked for the Padres for 12 years. He has forgotten more about baseball than you will ever learn.
He is also decidedly not a “punk”, but you making a comment like that after 7 months shows that clearly you are.
Lmfao. Since he wussied out care to take his place? And as far as that first comment about forgetting more than I’ll ever learn – I really doubt he has more knowledge if he’s ready to lay down $ on a bought team. But he’s all show clearly. Acting tough but never following through. Doesn’t surprise me, though, this board is full of talk and no action. And yeah I jumped the gun in calling him out, but I know I’m right and will be right in the future. Alas, there are people on these boards that are older than I am and have watched the game longer, but will still say the stupidest chit I have ever heard. It’s almost as if they have never watched baseball or have serious issues with memory loss. Lastly, if “top 10” is a moral victory for you then I’m not going to stop you from celebrating.