Padres News: Tommy John Surgery Could Be On the Table for Yu Darvish

This would put a damper on the Padres' 2024 season, too.

Adding injury to an insult of a year for the team overall, Friar starter Yu Darvish was sent to the IL with an elbow issue after being a dependable inning eater for a bad team for the majority of the season. 

In some troubling news, Darvish's absence may not just be for the end of this season but for all of next year should his elbow require the dreaded Tommy John Surgery that's become all too familiar for pitchers in the modern game, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"Yu Darvish traveled to Texas on Tuesday and will be examined by elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister on Wednesday in an effort to determine the extent of his elbow injury. Meister performed Darvish’s Tommy John surgery in 2015.It is not known yet whether Darvish will need a second Tommy John."

via Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune

In a year where Darvish became the all time strikeout king for Japanese born players in MLB, the international superstar started his 2023 winning the WBC alongside countrymen such as Shohei Ohtani for his country in March over the US. 

While successful on that front, the return to the Padres hasn't been as fruitful for the club overall even with his contributions to the rotation this year. 

Unfortunately for Darvish, the efforts have been in vain as his body simply couldn't keep up with the burden of carrying the Padre rotation for any longer this season. 

Though a second Tommy John surgery wouldn't be the end of his career for the man of many pitches, it certainly wouldn't help matters considering the Japanese stars advanced age. 

It's just another blow for the former Ranger All-Star who's first elbow procedure came while with Texas. 

Should Darvish miss any extended time with such a major elbow issue, it'd be a devastating blow for an already wounded Padre roster. For now, though, they'll have to wait and see.