3 San Diego Padres who need to step up before it's too late

Time is starting to not be on the side of the 2023 San Diego Padres in terms of getting back into both the National League West race and the Wild Card race. It's not completely struck midnight as there are nearly three months left in the season.

Things have not been as planned for manager Bob Melvin, GM A.J. Preller, and the rest of the active roster. Underachieving is one of the most common words to describe them. If the Padres are going to make a run in the second half of the season, they will need some players to step up. Here are three players that need to step up before it's too late.

San Diego Padres need Yu Darvish to step up before it too late

Part of the success that the 2022 Padres had was in large part due to the right arm of Yu Darvish. The former Texas Rangers and Chicago Cubs hurler went 16-8 in 30 starts last season with a 3.10 ERA in 194.2 innings pitched, while allowing 67 earned runs and striking out 197. He has not had nearly the same success this season.

In 14 starts, he was a 5-6 record with a 4.84 ERA, and 43 earned runs, which is high and he's on pace to give up more earned runs this season than last season. Darvish has been battling an illness, which forced him to miss a scheduled start against the Pittsburgh Pirates on their recent road trip.

Free agent Michael Wacha has been better than San Diego would have hoped he would be this season and Blake Snell has pitched better than his numbers say. He's just not received a lot of run support.

Darvish is better than his numbers say and Melvin needs him to turn it around once he is back on the mound. Wacha has been a saving grace for the Padres this season, but Darvish needs to turn his numbers around and be better if San Diego has plans on getting back in the race.