Yu Darvish Reportedly Placed on Restricted List amid Injury, Padres Not Required to Pay Pitcher

With Yu Darvish's MLB future still up in the air, the San Diego Padres are reportedly placing him on the restricted list ahead of the 2026 campaign.

ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported as much Wednesday and noted the right-hander will miss the 2026 season as he recovers from elbow surgery. Since the Padres do not have to pay him while he is on the restricted list, they could look to make another move with additional payroll space.

"The restricted list is meant for players who remain under contract but are unavailable for various reasons, freeing up a 40-man roster spot while allowing teams to retain rights to the player if and when he returns," Gonzalez explained. There is no minimum or maximum amount of time a player can spend on the restricted list."

Darvish is scheduled to make $15 million in 2026, which is the fourth year of his six-year, $108 million extension.

This isn't the first time he has been placed on the restricted list, as the Padres also placed him there for nearly two months in 2024 for a family issue. He eventually returned after rehabbing an elbow injury, although he didn't join the team until July during the 2025 season.

The 39-year-old finished with a 5.38 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 68 strikeouts in 72 innings across 15 starts last season. 

Given his age and injury history, Darvish was not nearly as effective as he was at his peak when he was a five-time All-Star with four seasons of more than 200 strikeouts. 

Amid speculation about his retirement, Darvish took to social media in January and said he was "leaning towards voiding the contract" he had with the Padres and not announcing his retirement. Instead, he said he was "fully focused on my rehab for my elbow" and left open the door for a potential return:

Going on the restricted list also leaves open the door for his eventual return should it reach that point. San Diego likely wouldn't be getting the same version of the right-hander who was dominant for stretches earlier in his career, but this move keeps a number of possibilities open down the line.

The Padres open their season Thursday with a home game against the Detroit Tigers.