Darvish puts injury behind him with 63-pitch season debut
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SAN DIEGO -- The Padres missed Yu.
Sure, they’ve managed to persevere this season, even as their rotation has been hit hard by injuries. But were they ever thrilled to welcome Yu Darvish back into the fold Monday night, after he missed the first three-plus months of the season with right elbow inflammation.
Darvish pitched 3 2/3 innings in the Padres’ 6-3 series-opening loss to the Diamondbacks, striking out five while allowing two runs on three hits and three walks. He was always going to be on a limited pitch count and found himself in quite a few high-stress situations early. As such, Darvish was removed after 63 pitches.
“It feels good to be back,” Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie. “I was a little bit nervous going back in there. … I was a little bit amped up -- more than usual.”
Even in a shortened start, Darvish looked like his usual self. Which is to say, he used a dizzying blend of pitches -- eight types of offerings, according to Statcast -- to keep Arizona hitters off-balance. He breezed through a 1-2-3 first inning on just 10 pitches, striking out two and inducing four whiffs. As he left the mound, a sellout crowd at Petco Park chanted “Yuuuuu” in unison.
If the Padres can get that version of Darvish -- the version we last saw stifling the Dodgers’ offense in October -- it will be a major boost for their thin starting rotation. The reality is: They never expected the 38-year-old Darvish to make 30-plus starts this season. But if he’s strong down the stretch, there’s a case to be made that the early time off could be a benefit -- though Darvish contested that notion.
“It wasn’t like I was resting healthy for the three months,” he said. “I was obviously rehabbing and trying to get back. But obviously the goal is to try to stay strong and finish the season.”
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If he can do that, the Padres’ rotation looks fearsome. Nick Pivetta and Dylan Cease have anchored the front of that group, and Michael King appears to be taking a step toward his return from a right shoulder/long thoracic nerve injury as well. He could throw off a mound for the first time later this week.
Nonetheless, the Padres will be cautious with Darvish, who turns 39 in August and has missed time in each of the past two seasons with various injuries. He was sidelined during Spring Training with elbow inflammation and ended up missing more time than expected after enduring a setback following a mid-May rehab start.
He essentially restarted his rehab following that setback and eventually threw three simulated games in that next phase of his buildup. He said the most encouraging aspect was his ability to throw his slider without issue.
“Obviously, it’s a good thing to be back on the mound -- back on the big league mound,” Darvish said. “You find out what you need to adjust, what you need to work on. So I’ll just keep making those adjustments, just keep working. Looking forward to the next one.”
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The next one might come with an extra day of rest, to help ensure Darvish’s health as he returns to action. It seems likely Darvish will be eased back into the Padres’ rotation. The upcoming All-Star break practically necessitates it.
He estimated that his pitch count would likely increase by 10-15 pitches in each subsequent outing.
“Yu felt good after the game, felt good during the game,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “Sixty-three pitches, and there was a little bit of stress in there. But, again, he’s only going to get better the more he’s out there.
“It was a very, very encouraging outing for Yu. It’s good to see him back out there, to see No. 11 on the mound for the Padres.”