Yu Darvish certainly didn't look retired earlier this week when he threw in the outfield at Petco Park . He might have been a little older than most Tommy John surgery rehabbers, but otherwise was indistinguishable from a man who intends to pitch again.
Looks can be deceiving.
While the Padres have Darvish under contract for two more years, they would gladly take even one productive season from him at this point.
Even manager Craig Stammen said in a recent appearance on the Ben and Woods show on 97.3-FM in San Diego that doesn't know when - or if - Darvish will pitch again.
"He's been doing the normal Tommy John rehab - some of it at Petco, some of it not at Petco," Stammen said. "We see him here and there. He's on his own timeline. He still doesn't know if he really wants to come back, wants to retire, what his next role is within the organization. We're kind of letting him have his space and do his thing, and right now he's throwing bullpens.
"It's a reason for excitement to see him throwing that way, but it doesn't really change anything that's happened throughout the year. The ball's in his court, and he'll decide what he wants to do when he wants to do it."
Darvish is owed $14 million each of the next two years, under the terms of the six-year, $108 million contract extension he signed in February 2023. But he's unlikely to cost the Padres anything unless he's healthy enough to pitch.
Since March, he's been on the restricted list, not the injured list- effectively forfeiting his 2026 salary. While that's given the Padres some financial flexibility to bolster their starting rotation in his absence , Darvish is also causing some uncertainty with his indecision.
Darvish went 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA last season, his 13th in MLB. The right-hander was limited to 15 starts because of his elbow injury. Beneath the surface-level numbers, the advanced stats were not much kinder to Darvish than his already-once-replaced UCL.
If Darvish's subpar season was a direct result of a weakening elbow ligament, perhaps his new ligament will allow him to pitch better. If it was the result of age-related decline, the Padres face legitimate questions about the kind of pitcher Darvish will be - if he returns to pitch at all.
Sign up for our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/padres/onsi as Padres Manager Says Yu Darvish Still Contemplating Retirement Despite Comeback Attempt .
