The San Diego Padres suffered a devastating one-two punch to their starting rotation this season. First, Yu Darvish suffered elbow inflammation in spring training that ruled him out indefinitely, and Michael King has been sidelined with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder since late May. Let’s not forget that Joe Musgrove has yet to throw a pitch in 2025, as he is recovering from Tommy John surgery.

However, there might be light at the end of the tunnel for the Padres’ starting rotation. The front office confirmed Darvish faced hitters in a simulated game this week in Lake Elsinore. He threw three innings and gave up three hits, no runs, one walk, and struck out six batters on 51 pitches.

Kevin Acee wrote this morning “Yu Darvish is expected to throw in the bullpen here this weekend before it is decided what his next step will be. The expectation is that he will make a minor-league rehab start, but the Padres continue to not push the veteran right-hander. The important thing, team sources continue to insist, is that he returns to pitch well in the season’s final two months and the playoffs.”

Darvish is the lone architect of his rehab plan

If you remember, the Friars offered no timeline for Darvish to rejoin the starting rotation. It will be up to him, as there is no better source than Darvish to determine the course of rehabilitation needed for his return to the active roster.

He took a big step in his rehab by making a start with Triple-A El Paso in mid-May. However, everyone’s enthusiasm turned to despair when Darvish experienced some elbow discomfort following the start. Team doctors shut down his rehab program until the pain subsided.

Neither the Padres nor Darvish have confirmed if he will throw another simulated game. If there is no physical setback, Darvish could return to the mound by early July.

Darvish could be an impactful second-half contributor

With both Darvish and King on the shelf, The Friars have relied heavily on Dylan Cease and Nick Pivetta. Cease has been up and down all season, while Pivetta has responded with an outstanding first campaign in brown and gold after signing as a free agent before the start of spring training.

At 8-2 with a 3.36 ERA, Pivetta has become the team’s de facto No. 1 starter until Darvish returns to action. He has nine quality starts in 16 games started this season. The return of Darvish guarantees the Padres will have two starters who pitch deep into games.

The right-hander’s Friars career can be defined by him tossing six innings every fifth day. Rarely does the bullpen have to clean up his mess of leaving multiple runners on the bases.

His pitch count is around 100, so Darvish must be economical to be credited with a quality start. And when he is not on, Darvish is crafty enough to keep the damage to a minimum. His control is still one of the best in the majors, as Darvish’s walk rate was 6.6 % in 2024, which was well below the league average of 8.4 %.

Darvish has several release points that create deception for his four-seam fastball at the top of the strike zone. It is still a frontline pitch, as he can reach 94-95 MPH when an out is needed to thwart a potential rally. Last season, Darvish allowed 39.9 % hard-hit balls while striking out 23.6 % of batters faced. He must continue to limit contact to be an effective pitcher in 2025.

His pitching repertoire allows Darvish to remain unpredictable against opposing lineups. He effectively uses the slider, sinker, sweeper, split finger, and curveball to record outs. His approach on the mound is why he remains one of the best at his position.

Injuries and age may have limited his availability, but Darvish’s pitching arsenal allows him to be a strong middle-of-the-rotation candidate.

Without delay, he is on track to make a difference in the second half of the 2025 season.