SAN DIEGO — Padres right-hander Yu Darvish will miss the 2026 season after undergoing UCL repair surgery with an internal brace on his right elbow.
Darvish made the announcement in a post on social media, saying:
“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.”
What that means for Darvish’s future beyond his rehab is uncertain. He has three seasons remaining on his contract. But he’s also spent the last three of them hampered by injuries, including elbow inflammation that sidelined him for three months in 2025.
Darvish made 15 starts, posting a 5.38 ERA. During the season, he admitted that the discomfort in his elbow had made him uncertain how long he would be able to pitch.
It’s the second major elbow operation for Darvish, who underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2015 season while pitching for Texas. He also underwent arthroscopic surgery on that elbow in ‘18 and had a cortisone injection to rehab a bone spur after the ‘23 campaign.
Without Darvish for 2026 at least, the Padres’ rotation is full of question marks. Michael King recently opted out of his side of a mutual option, making him a free agent. Dylan Cease is a free agent as well.
Nick Pivetta slots atop the current rotation, with Joe Musgrove set to return from Tommy John surgery in 2026. Randy Vásquez should slot into the back end of the rotation as well. But beyond that trio, the Padres’ options are thin.
Whatever Darvish’s status, the Padres were going to have a major need in their rotation this offseason. That need just grew even bigger.
