Alarms have been raised within the San Diego Padres organization due to Yu Darvish experiencing a sudden case of “general fatigue.” This issue has kept him from training alongside the team’s pitchers. While not classified as an injury, Darvish will be monitored, and if his condition doesn’t improve, he may miss Opening Day and his scheduled start against the Atlanta Braves on March 27.
Padres manager Mike Shildt explained, “He’s dealing with general fatigue, so we’ve reduced his activity a bit while we reassess his schedule.” Darvish had performed well during preseason games, pitching between two to four innings with good pitch counts. “We just want to be cautious to avoid any health problems early in the season,” he added.
If Darvish’s condition doesn’t improve, he could be pushed back in the starting rotation and possibly make his season debut against the Cleveland Guardians on March 31. It’s worth noting that Darvish was the Padres’ Opening Day starter last season when he pitched against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Seoul, South Korea.
So far this spring, Darvish has made two starts in the Cactus League, posting a 1-0 record with a 4.05 ERA over 6.2 innings. He pitched 2.2 innings against the Guardians on March 8 and followed up with four innings against the Kansas City Royals on March 13, throwing 54 pitches.
Following the fatigue, the Padres’ medical staff is keeping a close eye on Darvish. They’ve provided him with additional rest, adjusted his diet compared to the rest of the team, and are closely monitoring his physical condition. While there have been reports of disease outbreaks across various U.S. states, California has not been affected thus far.
Last season, Darvish dealt with elbow pain, as well as hip and neck issues, limiting him to 16 starts. He finished with a 7-3 record and a 3.31 ERA over 81.2 innings and performed well in the playoffs with a 1.98 ERA in two starts, though the Padres lost the series to the Dodgers.
Leave a Reply