Yu Darvish injury should wave the white flag for Padres this season
By Scott Rogust
The San Diego Padres finished their 2022 season just three wins short of reaching the World Series for the first time since 1998. The team had big-name stars like Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Blake Snell already on the roster entering this past winter, and then the team added Xander Bogaerts. On paper, the Padres had one of the best rosters, which certainly gave the team a chance to contend for a World Series in 2023.
As of Aug. 28, the Padres are 61-70 and in fourth place in the NL West division. That comes after getting swept by the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. On Monday, before the team's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Padres received news that significantly impacted their playoff odds.
Starting pitcher Yu Darvish was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation.
Yu Darvish has right elbow inflammation and has been placed on the IL -- where he joins Joe Musgrove, whose return is contingent on a highly unlikely run back toward contention. The rotation has been the Padres' bright spot all year. It, too, seems to be crumbling.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) August 28, 2023
Yu Darvish's injury spells the end of Padres playoff chances
As for how much time Darvish could miss, that is all dependent on how test results come back, per Padres manager Bob Melvin.
This season, Darvish recorded a 4.56 ERA, a 1.298 WHIP, an 8-10 win-loss record, 141 strikeouts, and 43 walks in 136.1 innings (24 starts).
The Padres are eight games back of the last NL Wild Card spot entering Monday night. Furthermore, the San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Miami Marlins are ahead of the Padres for the final Wild Card spot by a significant margin. If the losses keep coming, they will get mathematically eliminated at some point.
Starter Joe Musgrove is also on the injured list due to a shoulder injury. Musgrove admits that he likely won't return this season if the Padres fall further out of a playoff spot by the time that he's ready to throw off of a mound.
In these next two weeks, the Padres are playing the Cardinal (three games), Giants (four games), Philadelphia Phillies (three games), and Houston Astros (three games). It will be interesting to see if the Padres can stay afloat with some wins or fall further out of a playoff spot.
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