Padres ace continues progression, settles fans' nerves with update on elbow

Padres fans have been holding their breath ever since Yu Darvish was sent to the injured list with elbow inflammation to begin the season. He's 38 years old, so whenever arm injuries pop up for an aging pitcher, the worrying becomes nonstop.

The Friar Faithful can take a sigh of relief though. The right-handed starter is slowly working his way back to the mound, and it's been reported that he is pain free in his elbow, and has extended his throwing to 150 feet.

The Padres are ninth in the National League in starting pitching ERA (3.83), but the number is a bit inflated due to Kyle Hart, who has allowed seven runs in 5 2/3 frames. Once Matt Waldron went down, followed by Yu Darvish, Hart was surprisingly given a spot in the rotation after a bumpy spring.

If Hart's struggles continue, Padres fans ideally will not have to wait much longer for Darvish's return, who struck out 141 batters last year, to replace him in the rotation. In the meantime, the staff will continue to rely on Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Nick Pivetta, who have 36 combined strikeouts across 28 1/3 frames.

Coming into the 2025 campaign, there was an excitement surrounding the starting rotation. Yu Darvish, who has been the Opening Day starter four times with San Diego, is obviously a strong part of that. Beginning the season without him was a gut punch, but the Friars have weathered the storm thus far. They are 8-2 entering the new week, so the overall talent and ability to succeed is there. Now imagine how good San Diego can be with a fully healthy Yu Darvish back into the mix.

Hopefully, the wait is not much longer before Darvish is on the hill at Petco Park. The Padres don't need him yet, but they will soon.