Padres’ Craig Stammen just reframed Yu Darvish’s 2026 season with a telling comparison

The Padres' starting rotation won’t be the same as it was in the 2025 season after the team lost Dylan Cease to free agency. A move that the team saw coming, but one that hurts nonetheless. Especially after the news that broke out of San Diego in late October.

MLB veteran Yu Darvish underwent Tommy John Surgey, sidelining the 39-year-old for the entirety of the 2026 season. An injury that hurts considering the fact that the starting unit has blatant holes all over.

Sure, the team retained Michael King on a three-year, $75 million contract while also having Nick Pivetta for another year. But that doesn’t go without saying that the team’s depth is lackluster, at least at the back end.

Craig Stammen framed Darvish’s 2026 like Musgrove’s injured season

Luckily for the Padres, new manager Craig Stammen revealed that Yu Darvish will remain around the team as an advisor to the younger pitchers in the clubhouse.

“He’s gonna play a similar role to Joe Musgrove last year, being around the team as much as possible.”

As Stammen said, it is incredibly similar to the role that Joe Musgrove played this past season, as the 33-year-old was recovering from his own Tommy John procedure.

Darvish is as good a mentor as he is a pitcher, the right-hander has experience all over. From his elite days with the Texas Rangers to earning a World Series appearance with the Padres archrival, Los Angeles Dodgers. Darvish has what it takes to develop young talent.

After his injury, executives and fans made claims that he would be a solid manager, which is not a far-fetched take at all.

While back-end starting pitching is still a massive need come the final month ahead of spring training, Padres fans should be stoked to have Darvish around the clubhouse to have a positive influence on the younger guys. A great role model is something you can never take for granted.