San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish throws during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish, 39, will miss the entirety of the 2026 MLB season while recovering from a UCL surgery performed last week.

Darvish revealed he had surgery via a post on X on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Darvish's absence blows a major hole in the Padres' already-muddy plans for their starting rotation next year.

Padres' pitching situation

Prior to Darvish's surgery, the Padres were already facing an uphill battle this offseason. The team lost two of its top-end starters, Dylan Cease and Michael King, to free agency.

With so many holes to fill, the Padres were in dire need of Darvish's services. He'd provided the team with at least 70 innings pitched in each of his five seasons in San Diego. This year, he was able to start 15 games for the team despite missing the first three months of the season due to elbow inflammation. He recorded a 5.38 ERA and 5-5 record while striking out 8.5 hitters per nine innings.

Darvish's veteran presence was well-respected in the Padres' clubhouse. The 39-year-old was entrusted to start the win-or-go-home Game 3 of the team's wild card series against the Chicago Cubs. Although Darvish would take the loss that game, the team's willingness to start him in such a pivotal contest shows its trust in him.

The Padres still boast a solid rotation, featuring arms like Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, JP Sears (acquired at the 2025 trade deadline), and Joe Musgrove (returning from Tommy John surgery). However, it's likely they will search for more depth and target some of the league's top free agent arms this winter. Some of their potential targets include Framber Valdez, Shane Bieber, Ranger Suarez, Zac Gallen, and Jack Flaherty. There's always the possibility of a return from either King or Cease, too.

Yu Darvish injury history

Darvish has struggled with injury throughout his career. This is not the first major elbow surgery Darvish has undergone in his career.

In 2015, as a member of the Texas Rangers, Darvish was forced to miss the entire season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He also underwent arthroscopic surgery on that same elbow in 2018 with the Chicago Cubs. More recently, following the 2023 season, he had a cortisone injection in his arm to rehab a bone spur.

Outside of his elbow, Darvish has also been forced to miss time with injuries to his groin, neck, hip, back, forearm, and triceps, all since 2018.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Padres' Yu Darvish out for 2026 season following UCL surgery

Reporting by Jon Hoefling, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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