Aug. 29: , Darvish said after last nights game that he was awaiting results from an MRI but is optimistic that hell be able to return to the Padres in 2023. Aug. 28: The Padres announced that right-hander has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 26, due to right elbow inflammation. Righty was recalled in a corresponding move. At this point, its unclear what kind of absence the club is expecting from Darvish. reports that the righty had spoken of fatigue after his start on Friday, though there hasnt been any kind of firm update from the team. Even if the i sue is minor, the calendar figures to be a factor, with just over a month remaining on the schedule. Its been a frustrating season for both Darvish and the Padres, with the overall results misaligned with the underlying numbers in both cases. For Darvish as an individual, he has a 4.56 earned run average on the year, a big jump from last years 3.10 figure. But his 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate are both above league average. However, his .319 batting average on balls in play and 71.3% strand rate are both significantly le s fortunate than last years marks of .250 and and 78.2%. His rate of
Michael Jordan Jersey fly balls leaving the yard also jumped from 9.6% to 13.5%. His 4.04 FIP suggests hes been better than his ERA might indicate, but thats likely little comfort to him or the Padres, as the whole club has been undercut by a similar discrepancy this year. Their +53 run differential is the fifth-best in the National League, and yet they have a record of 61-70 that places them eight games out of a playoff spot, well behind several clubs with far worse run differentials. Its not the season that was hoped for in San Diego, as they spent aggre sively this offseason to try to build off a strong 2022 campaign that saw them reach the NLCS. Part of that aggre sive spending was giving Darvish a six-year, $108MM that runs through 2028, which will be his age-41 season. Though the Friars were likely aware that could hurt them in the long run, they wanted to lock him up while he was still throwing well and the clubs competitive window seemed to be wide open. Theres still some time for the club to salvage the season but the odds are against them, with FanGraphs giving them just a 2.5% chance of cracking the playoffs at this point. Despite a somewhat down season from Darvish, losing him to the IL for the next couple of weeks isnt ideal, as is already on the IL and could be if the club doesnt get back in the race. Since Darvish wont be eligible to return until mid-September, perhaps the same is true of him, though thats not clear at this point. For now, the Padres will proceed with a rotation of , , and , with one opening available. s last appearance was out of the bullpen but perhaps he will be slotted back into the rotation. Waldron has been starting in the minors and could be another option and the same goes for , who is on the 40-man. Looking to the long-term, a bounceback from Darvish next year will be key for the Padres, as theres plenty of uncertainty in their rotation. Snell and Hill are set to become free agents while Lugo and Wacha both have contract options that could lead to them hitting the open market as well. That leaves Musgrove and Darvish the two building blocks with three potential openings.
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