Yu Darvish DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (elbow) played catch off of the mound on Tuesday, writes AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. It's a step in the right direction for Darvish, who still figures to be a ways away despite reportedly also playing loss toss out to 180 feet recently. There is no set timetable for his return, but the next step in his recovery will be throwing bullpens when he is ready. He landed on the injured list at the start of the season after dealing with elbow inflammation during the spring. He has struggled to stay healthy in recent years but remained productive when he takes the mound, posting a 3.31 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 16 starts in 2024. Darvish is likely at least three weeks away from coming off the injured list.

The San Diego Padres officially placed right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to March 24) with right-elbow inflammation. In addition to Darvish, right-handers Matt Waldron (oblique), Bryan Hoeing (shoulder), Jhony Brito (forearm) and Sean Reynolds (foot) were placed on the 15-day IL before the start of the regular season. There is no timetable for when Darvish might return to San Diego's starting rotation to make his 2025 debut, but the good news is that he was spotted playing catch at Petco Park earlier this week. In a best-case scenario in which the 38-year-old veteran Japanese hurler avoids surgery on his right arm, he's likely to miss at least the first month of the season as he ramps up after being shut down in the middle of spring training. With Darvish out, left-hander Kyle Hart opens the season as the Friars' No. 5 starter.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish (elbow) played light catch on Wednesday, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Darvish has been dealing with inflammation in his throwing elbow and is expected to be placed on the injured list to begin the season. In 2024, he posted a 3.31 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts in 81 innings. He is still a productive pitcher when he is on the field, but staying healthy has become a problem for the 38-year-old over the past couple of years. He is a solid IL stash for fantasy purposes if you have the space for him.

San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) will not be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season due to right-elbow inflammation, manager Mike Shildt confirmed on Friday. There is no timetable for Darvish's return. "We feel pretty comfortable that some rest and getting ramped back up will be the answer," Shildt said. Without a clear timeline for a potential return, we wouldn't blame fantasy managers for avoiding the 38-year-old Japanese veteran in upcoming drafts. He was also limited to only 16 starts in 2024 due to an elbow injury and a personal matter, so surgery on his elbow shouldn't be ruled out at this point. Darvish looked great down the stretch when he returned late last year, though, including two postseason appearances. Now that Darvish will officially open the year on the injured list, lefty Kyle Hart and right-hander Stephen Kolek are competing for the No. 5 rotation spot in SD.

Although San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) played catch in camp on Tuesday, manager Mike Shildt revealed that Darvish experienced elbow inflammation after his last Cactus League start. The Padres are calling Darvis day-to-day right now, but Shildt couldn't rule out the injury affecting the start of Darvish's 2025 season. The Padres attributed fatigue to the 38-year-old Japanese pitcher missing his scheduled spring start on Tuesday, but now we know he's dealing with an elbow issue that could land him on the injured list to begin the season. We wouldn't blame fantasy managers from wanting to avoid an aging pitcher dealing with an elbow issue that could put the start of his season in peril. If Darvish is not able to open the year in the Friars' starting rotation, either Stephen Kolek or Kyle Hart would be candidates to replace him.