San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish announced he will miss the entire 2026 MLB season after undergoing UCL repair surgery with an internal brace on his right elbow. The procedure, performed last week by Dr. Keith Meister, also addressed a flexor tendon issue. Darvish, a five-time All-Star, has been hampered by injuries in recent years.
Yu Darvish, 39, shared the news on social media Tuesday, stating: “Last Wednesday I had surgery done by Dr. [Keith] Meister to repair my flexor tendon, have an internal brace attached to my UCL. I will be working hard on my rehab to be able to throw a ball comfortably again.” The Padres confirmed the successful procedure occurred on Oct. 29 in Arlington, Texas, marking Darvish's second major elbow operation after Tommy John surgery in 2015, which caused him to miss that season with the Texas Rangers.
Darvish enters the fourth year of his six-year, $108 million contract through 2028, but injuries limited him to 15 starts in 2025 with a 5.38 ERA, 1.181 WHIP, 68 strikeouts, and 19 walks over 72 innings—his career worst. He made 16 starts in 2024 and missed three months in 2025 due to elbow inflammation. Over 13 MLB seasons, Darvish holds a 3.65 ERA, 115 wins, and 2,075 strikeouts, recently becoming the all-time winningest pitcher in Japan and MLB with 208 victories.
The injury exacerbates the Padres' rotation challenges heading into 2026. Free agents Dylan Cease and Michael King, who combined for many starts in 2025, depart, leaving Nick Pivetta (13-5, 2.87 ERA, 190 strikeouts in 181⅔ innings) as the top option, alongside Joe Musgrove returning from Tommy John surgery and Randy Vásquez (111 ERA+ in 28 outings). Depth is thin, with JP Sears limited to five appearances and Matt Waldron to one. Internally, reliever Mason Miller, 27, emerges as a potential starter candidate, though he hasn't started since 2023. The Padres, fresh off a 90-72 season and third straight postseason berth (lost wild-card to Chicago Cubs), finished second in the NL West behind the World Series champion Dodgers and now face a major need to rebuild their pitching staff.