Good News For The Padres, Coach Ruben Niebla Announce Positive Injury Update Of Another Top Prospect After Big Steps
San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish took a meaningful step in his recovery from the elbow injury that has kept him sidelined since spring training.
On Friday, Darvish threw 39 pitches over two simulated innings following batting practice, facing Trenton Brooks and a pair of minor leaguers.
“He looked good,” said Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla. “Velocity was consistent — around 93 to 94 mph. His pitch shapes looked solid, so we’re encouraged. The next step is seeing how he feels tomorrow before mapping out the next session.”
Yu Darvish
Darvish previously made one rehab outing on May 14 against the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate, but felt elbow tightness afterward and was shut down again. He pitched four innings in that appearance, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out four. The simulated outing on Friday marks his most significant progress toward returning.
The veteran right-hander has dealt with multiple absences in 2024, but has been highly effective when healthy. In 16 starts, he compiled a 3.31 ERA over 82 innings with 78 strikeouts. His last full season in 2022 was even better — he finished with a 3.10 ERA across 194 innings with 197 strikeouts, earning him an eighth-place finish in Cy Young voting.
The Padres are eager to get Darvish back, especially with fellow starter Michael King also out and no clear timetable for his return after being scratched from his May 25 start against Atlanta.
San Diego currently sits third in the NL West, six games behind the division-leading Dodgers after dropping three consecutive series. They opened their set against the Royals with a loss Friday and have now slipped out of the final National League Wild Card spot, trailing both the Brewers and Cardinals by half a game.
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