Yu Darvish is coming off the injured list to make his next start with the San Diego Padres, per MLB.com . The right-hander struggled in a minor league rehab start with High-A Fort Wayne on Wednesday, allowing six runs on seven hits and one walk. He did strike out three batters over 1/3 innings but only threw 49 pitches in that outing. However, the Padres appear intent on moving him back into the rotation for his next appearance. But given the typcial time between outings, Darvish could start on Monday or Tuesday against the Washington Nationals.
He put a 3.20 ERA with a 23.1 percent strikeout rate compared to his 6.6 percent walk rate before his injury.
Yu Darvish’s Next Start Will Be with Padres
The rehab assignment was Darvish’s first in the minor leagues since 2018. He is returning from a left groin strain, which sent him to the injured list for the second time this season. Darvish previously bypassed a rehab assignment when he was on the IL earlier this season due to neck tightness. The Padres will act more cautiously with the right-hander this time around while he works his way back from his injury that kept him out for three weeks.
Darvish was off to a slow start to begin the season, but improved before going on the IL again. He has had four straight scoreless appearances from the end of April to the start of May, the first in his MLB career. Darvish and Kenny Rogers are the only pitchers since 1901 to have had four straight scoreless starts at age 37 or older. Rogers did so with the Texas Rangers in 2005.
On May 20, Darvish earned his 200th win between Major League Baseball (107) and Nippon Professional Baseball (93). Only Hiroki Kuroda (203) and Hideo Nomo (201) have more combined wins in the two leagues as Japanese-born pitchers.
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