Padres’ Yu Darvish to restricted list amid surgery recovery

star pitcher yu darvish Was banned list Wednesday as he spends the 2026 season recovering from elbow surgery, a decision that could free up significant payroll space for them San Diego Padres.

The restricted list is for players who remain under contract but are unavailable for various reasons, freeing up a 40-man roster space while allowing teams to retain the rights to the player upon his return. There is no limit to the minimum or maximum time a player can spend on the restricted list. Teams do not need to pay them while they are on it.

Darvish, 39, is set to make $15 million in 2026, the fourth year of a six-year, $108 million extension. Not being tied to his salary this season could free up the Padres to pursue a free agent starter more aggressively lucas giolitoWhich will help address their needy rotation. At present there is no indication that Darvish intends to retire.

In January, after a San Diego Union-Tribune report said he had informed the Padres of his decision to retire, Darvish wrote on social media that he was “leaning toward voiding the contract” but adding that “there’s still a lot to be talked about.”

Darvish added, “Right now I’m completely focused on rehabbing my elbow, and if I get to the point where I can throw again, I’ll start from scratch to compete again.” “Once I get to that point and I feel like I can’t do it, I’ll announce my retirement.”

A five-time All-Star and one of the greatest talents to come out of Japan, Darvish has 115 wins while posting a 3.65 ERA in 297 starts during his 13-year major league career.

Around the middle of the 2024 season, Darvish was placed on the restricted list for seven weeks, with the Padres citing it as a family issue. He was reinstated on August 23, spent nearly two weeks recovering from an elbow injury, then rejoined the Padres rotation for the stretch run of the season.

Darvish didn’t join the team until July last year and got off to a rough start, but improved slightly with a 4.23 ERA in his final 11 starts through the rotation. He started the deciding game of the Padres’ wild-card series at Wrigley Field, but was pulled after allowing four straight batters to reach to start the second inning. The Padres lost 3–1, ending their season.

In November, Darvish underwent surgery to repair his ulnar collateral ligament with an internal brace, a procedure that comes with a 12 to 15 month recovery.