Yu Darvish has found his form again at the best possible time for Padres

After his lengthy layoff due to injuries and an unknown personal issue, Yu Darvish's future contributions to the San Diego Padres were largely unknown. Darvish's track record in the big leagues can't really be questioned, but missing that much time would likely effect any player.

Aside from his personal troubles, there was a real chance Darvish wasn't at his physical best and/or his injuries could be a lingering problem.

Upon Darvish's return from his hiatus in early September, those worries came to the forefront as he failed to get out of the third inning in his first start back. Many wondered if Darvish's elbow issues were more serious than initially thought and, at his age, some also wondered if his best days were behind him and that the layoff would impact him the rest of the season.

Since that rough return start however, Darvish has done quite a lot to squash those doubts.

Yu Darvish looks like a guy the Padres can count on in the playoffs right now

Clearly, Darvish had some rust in that first appearance back from the IL, but he has knocked it off in a hurry. In his last three starts, Darvish has posted a 2.08 ERA (but with a somewhat less encouraging 4.55 FIP) while going at least five innings each time out. While issues with giving up home runs have been a problem, the swing and miss has been there and he has only walked two batters total over that span.

It is that ability to throw strikes that might be the most encouraging sign. Pitchers coming off lengthy stints on the shelf often struggle to locate their pitches for a bit, even with guys who traditionally pound the strike zone like Darvish.

For the Padres, this version of Darvish is really all they need. Dylan Cease has established himself at the front of San Diego's rotation, and both Joe Musgrove and Michael King are pitching well, which is going to make setting the Padres' playoff rotation very interesting. What the Padres need is a veteran with experience in the postseason, and one that won't let the game speed up on him. Darvish gives them just that, and should have an effective starting cast surrounding him.

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