Padres' Yu Darvish uncertain he'll pitch again in Major Leagues

The San Diego Padres are in dire need of starting pitching this offseason, and it's thanks in part to the departures of Dylan Cease and Michael King in free agency.

But, one of the other noteworthy aspects of the Padres' need in the rotation is that Yu Darvish, who's under contract through the 2028 season, will miss the entire 2026 season with surgery to repair a torn UCL and flexor tendon in his throwing elbow.

While Darvish could return in 2207, such a future might not be in the cards. According to Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres starter was uncertain about his future in MLB in a recent comment.

Yu Darvish uncertain he'll pitch for Padres again amid lengthy injury recovery

"I'm not necessarily thinking about really pitching as I go through this rehab process right now," Darvish said. "I don't have that in mind. I'm just trying to just rehab my arm right now. And 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."

Darvish is a 39-year-old veteran who's coming off a rough 2025 season. In his 13th MLB season, Darvish had a 5.38 ERA in 15 starts for the Padres. He's struggled to get back to his peak form, and now he is contemplating ending his Major League career.

He's owed $108 million from 2023 through 2028, and with three years left on that deal, it's looking like Darvish won't return anytime soon, if at all.

More: Padres star Yu Darvish out for 2026 after elbow repair and internal brace

The five-time All-Star has had an incredible career, but with some major uncertainty going forward, Darvish might not come back to pitch for the Padres in the future.

His comments indicate that he's considering retirement and is solely focused on getting healthy. But being healthy to pitch again on an MLB mound is a different story.

Not that the Padres had any more reason to be in dire need of starting pitching now and into the future, but if Darvish cannot return for the Padres due to this lengthy recovery process, then San Diego will need multiple long-term solutions in the rotation.

For now, Darvish will focus on his recovery. But looking into the future, by this time next year, the Padres might have official word on whether Darvish is retiring or not.

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