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San Diego Padres pitcher Yu Darvish will enter his 13th major league season in 2025. The veteran is coming off a year in which he finished with a 3.31 ERA and 78 strikeouts across 81 2/3 innings pitched. Nevertheless, Darvish will not be ready for the start of the new season.
The right-hander is dealing with right elbow inflammation, and the Padres decided to shut him down from throwing for a few weeks. That means San Diego will roll with Dylan Cease, Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, and Kyle Hart in the first few weeks.
But when can we expect Darvish to return? Has he made any progress since suffering that elbow injury? Let's dive in and find out.
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Yu Darvish Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball
Darvish appeared in two spring training games for the Padres, where he allowed three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts across six 2/3 innings pitched. However, the 38-year-old was shut down from throwing after dealing with some elbow inflammation following a March 13 start. As a result, he will begin the season on the injured list.
The good news, though, is that Darvish has already begun to throw. On March 26, the right-hander played light catch. That's certainly great news for the veteran, and he should continue to ramp up over the next few weeks.
Positive day for Yu Darvish yesterday, A.J. Preller said. Darvish played catch for the first time after a brief shutdown. He's going to keep playing catch and stretching out, but still no timetable for a return to the mound.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 27, 2025
Despite the encouraging sign for Darvish, the five-time All-Star is still likely weeks away from a return. It will take him at least one month to build back up, and then he will have to go on a rehab assignment before he makes his season debut. So, fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to return until May at the earliest.
Yu Darvish Fantasy Baseball Outlook
When healthy, Darvish has always put up solid numbers on the mound. He has a career 3.58 ERA and 2,007 strikeouts across his 12 major league seasons. He has also finished with a sub-3.40 ERA in two of the past three years. However, the right-hander has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons.
Darvish missed the final month of the 2023 campaign due to a bone spur and missed multiple weeks last year due to back, neck, and elbow injuries, as well as a personal matter. In those two seasons, the Japanese native has made just 40 starts. Still, he is a solid IL stash for your fantasy team.
Yu Darvish, Pretty 74mph Curveball. 🌈 pic.twitter.com/zYogmJwuB5
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) March 8, 2025
Darvish is usually a very consistent pitcher option when healthy, and he will make his season debut at some point this spring. If he can stay healthy for the rest of the year once he returns from the IL, the veteran could be a big fantasy boost for your fantasy roster.
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