Inside The Padres

Fan Encounters Padres Pitcher Yu Darvish at Home Depot, Gets Unusual Autograph

Maren Angus-Coombs

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
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One lucky baseball fan thought he was going to his local Home Depot for an uneventful trip to the home improvement store. Instead, he came home with an autographed paint mixer stick.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish was spotted at the store and was approached by a fan who opted for the unique item instead of a pen and paper or a pen and baseball.

The man’s brother on Thursday posted the signed paint mixer stick on X (formerly Twitter).

The strange encounter had to bring a smile to the pitcher's face. It isn't every day that a player is approached with such a random item.

Darvish's season, however, hasn't been so random. His 4-3 record, 3.20 earned run average, and 53 strikeouts have come with their challenges like two stints on the injured list. His most recent trip to the IL has turned into placement on the restricted list to tend to a family matter. His return to the mound is uncertain at this point.

With Darvish on the restricted list, the Padres suddenly have some cash to play with for the upcoming July 30 trade deadline. Players who are on the list do not collect a paycheck. If general manager A.J. Preller intends to pursue upgrades, he has about $7 million for the rest of the season if Darvish doesn't return, plus an additional $12 million before they incur a luxury tax.

San Diego has not made Darvish's reason for the restricted list public.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite being raised in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer for the LA Sports Report Network.

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