Darvish focused on rehab, uncertain about return to pitching

SAN DIEGO -- A month and a half removed from surgery on his right elbow, Yu Darvish acknowledged his uncertain future on the mound on Monday.

Speaking at a charity event for the Ronald McDonald House of San Diego, the 39-year-old Darvish said he isn’t sure whether he’ll pitch again in the big leagues.

“I’m not necessarily thinking about really pitching, as I go through this rehab process right now,” Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie. “I don’t have that in my mind. I’m just trying to just rehab my arm right now. If I get the urge to come back, if I feel that I can stand on the mound and come back, then I will go for that. But I’ll just leave it there for now.”

It’s entirely possible that one of the most decorated pitching careers of this generation has come to an end. Darvish pitched through elbow trouble all summer before undergoing surgery to repair his flexor tendon and attach an internal brace to his UCL.

After the late October operation, Darvish set this goal in a post on social media: “I will be working hard on my rehab to be able to throw a ball comfortably again.” Whether that comes in the big leagues remains to be seen.

Darvish has three years remaining on the six-year contract extension that he signed prior to the 2023 season, though he’s already been ruled out for the entire ’26 season because of the surgery. He has $46 million remaining on his contract, which would come off the Padres’ books if he were to retire.

For now, no decision has been made. But Darvish has spent a chunk of his offseason at Petco Park, where he’s begun his rehab process. He remains involved, chatting with fellow pitchers who have begun their throwing programs, along with the team’s staff.

“That’s kind of been the talks with [general manager] A.J. Preller and the organization right now, how I can be involved, given that I’m not pitching next season,” Darvish said. “We are having conversations about that.”

Darvish has pitched 13 seasons in the big leagues with the Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs and Padres, along with seven seasons in Japan’s NPB. He recently broke Hiroki Kuroda’s record for most victories combined between those two leagues -- currently 208 (115 in the Majors and 93 in Japan).

Darvish owns a 3.65 ERA and more than 2,000 strikeouts in the big leagues, having finished in the top 10 in Cy Young Award voting on four separate occasions -- including two second-place finishes.

Lately, however, Darvish hasn’t reached those heights as he’s struggled with injuries. He’s averaged just over 18 starts per season across the past three years, and he’s coming off a disappointing 2025 campaign.

Of course, Darvish’s struggles in 2025 can be at least partially attributed to his injury. He missed the first three months of the season with inflammation in his right elbow. On Monday, Darvish acknowledged that surgery was one of his options in March, at the time he began dealing with the injury.

Instead, he chose a rest-and-rehab approach and wouldn’t make his debut until July. Darvish ended up making 15 starts with a 5.38 ERA. He started the Wild Card Series finale against the Cubs at Wrigley Field but would exit after just one-plus innings, having allowed two runs on four hits.

“I don’t feel like I was able to really contribute to the team during that time where I was pitching,” Darvish said. “In my mind, I was thinking that maybe this could be it for me, so I was, in a way, grinding through this season, trying to get the best out of myself for the team.”

It’s possible that ill-fated playoff start at Wrigley Field will go down as the last time Yu Darvish sets foot on a big league mound. But whatever decision he makes, it won’t be the last time a Darvish pitches in San Diego.

His son, Shoei, recently committed to UCSD, where he’ll pitch for the Tritons beginning in the 2026-27 season.

“Not just as a player, but as a human ... I’m really proud of him,” Darvish said.