SAN DIEGO -- The Padres’ rotation is getting the boost it has long been waiting for.
Yu Darvish will return to the mound on Monday night when San Diego opens a four-game series against the division-rival Diamondbacks at Petco Park, manager Mike Shildt announced on Sunday.
Darvish has yet to pitch this season, due to right elbow inflammation. When healthy, the 38-year-old right-hander has been a stalwart in the Padres’ rotation, though he has missed time in each of the past two seasons due to injuries.
Here’s what Darvish’s return means for a rotation that remains full of health concerns and other question marks:
What to expect from Darvish?
For his start on Monday, don’t expect much length. When he was on the verge of a return in mid-May, Darvish endured a setback and essentially had to build back up from scratch. In this phase of his recovery, he pitched three simulated games, building to four innings and 64 pitches in his most recent outing on Tuesday against Single-A hitters in Lake Elsinore.
Shildt noted that Darvish likely would be on a workload limitation -- somewhere around 75 pitches and four to five innings.
As for Darvish’s progression from here, the All-Star break features nicely. It’s likely Darvish would make two starts before the break, but the Padres could give him an extra day of rest by moving his second start to Sunday.
If so, that would leave a vacancy in the rotation. But, again, with the All-Star break looming, the Padres can get creative. The break also means additional rest for Darvish as he reacclimates to the rotation. In theory, he might not need to be on a regular rotation turn until late July.
“The timing worked out,” Shildt said.
What does Darvish’s return mean for the Padres?
The last we saw of Darvish, he was limiting the Dodgers to three runs over 13 2/3 innings in last year’s National League Division Series. He posted a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts in 2024, despite missing time with an array of injuries, plus a stint on the restricted list while he tended to a personal family matter.
The Padres have made it work with a makeshift rotation in the absence of Darvish and Michael King (who is dealing with a right shoulder/long thoracic nerve injury). But that rotation is precariously thin.
Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta and Randy Vásquez have pitched all season. Behind that trio, the Padres have used some combination of Stephen Kolek, Ryan Bergert, Matt Waldron and Kyle Hart to cover the final two spots. On Sunday, Hart was recalled from Triple-A El Paso, but San Diego tabbed righty reliever David Morgan as an opener.
With Darvish back in the mix, the rotation will feel closer to whole.
“We always have an open day on the schedule for Yu Darvish to start,” said Shildt. “So we’re excited to have that happen. It really did get back to him just checking all the boxes.”
What does the rest of the rotation look like now?
The rainout Tuesday in Philadelphia threw a wrench into the Padres’ plans. Pivetta would have otherwise started on normal rest on Sunday, ahead of Darvish on Monday. Instead, the Hart callup was necessary.
Pivetta and Cease started both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader, so they’ll presumably pitch this coming Tuesday and Wednesday in some order, with Vásquez going Thursday.
There’s a vacancy Friday and potentially Saturday as well, if Darvish’s second start is bumped to Sunday. By then, Ryan Bergert (right forearm bruise) will be eligible to return from the IL. He’s scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A El Paso on Sunday night, which would line him up to pitch one of those games.
Kolek, meanwhile, was optioned to El Paso in a corresponding move for Hart’s callup. Though Kolek was hit hard by the Rangers on Saturday night, the Padres have been largely impressed with his first season as a full-time starter. He owns a 4.24 ERA across 12 starts.
But as Kolek makes that transition to the rotation, his workload is being monitored closely. As such, Sunday’s demotion will give Kolek a breather around the All-Star break -- much like King’s extended break last season.
As for King? Still wait and see. He recently ramped up the intensity of his catch sessions. But it’s unclear when he’d progress to throwing off a mound. From there, he’ll be looking at a lengthy buildup period that could put his return at late August or September.