Yu

Darvish

“Yu has not made a final decision yet. This is a complicated matter we are still working through,” Wolfe told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand in response to a report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that his client had notified the Padres of his intent to retire with three years and $43 million remaining on his contract. The 39-year-old former fantasy ace underwent elbow surgery earlier this offseason and is facing a lengthy rehabilitation process. There could potentially be a resolution on his status at some point in the next few weeks before San Diego kicks off spring training.

Darvish had internal brace and flexor tendon surgery last month and will miss all of 2026. It sure sounded at the time that he intended to come back from it, but it won’t be an easy road at age 39. Darvish is owed $43 million over the next three seasons, though he might walk away if he doesn’t think he can perform.

The 39-year-old Darvish, who underwent Tommy John back in 2015, said he’ll work hard on his rehab, suggesting that he intends to return in 2027. At age 36, he signed a six-year, $108 million deal that runs through 2028, but some have thought that Darvish might walk away from his Padres contract at some point, partly because he’s been fighting elbow issues. Since signing his most recent deal, he’s made 55 starts in three years and gone 20-18 with a 4.41 ERA.

It’s unclear whether Darvish — who has three years left on his contract with San Diego — is contemplating retirement after an injury-plagued regular season. Elbow issues limited him to just 15 starts where he finished the regular season with a calamitous 5.38 ERA and career-worst 23 percent strikeout rate over 72 innings of work. The 39-year-old veteran might require offseason surgery and it wouldn’t be a complete surprise if he decided to call it a career after 14 years in the big leagues since 2012.

The 39-year-old hurler struck out one batter and didn’t allow a base on balls. He allowed a leadoff single in the opening inning but still faced the minimum thanks to Nico Hoerner getting caught stealing second base. Things didn’t go well for him in the second though as Darvish allowed a leadoff single to Kyle Tucker and a double to Seiya Suzuki before plunking Carson Kelly to load the bases. Pete Crow-Armstrong followed with an RBI single that chased Darvish from the game and fortunately for him only one of the three inherited runners scored against the Padres’ bullpen. Darvish still has three years and $46 million remaining on his deal with the Padres.

Taillon draws the starting assignment for Thursday’s winner-take-all showdown at Wrigley Field against former Cubs ace Yu Darvish, who gets the ball for San Diego. The 33-year-old righty posted an encouraging 1.54 ERA across four September starts and will be making just his third career postseason appearance. Meanwhile, Darvish will be making his 14th career postseason start since 2012.

Pivetta has been a bona fide ace for the Padres this season, posting a 2.87 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 190/50 K/BB ratio in 181 2/3 innings. Cease and Darvish have been less consistent than Pivetta, but they both offer ace upside if they are clicking on any given night.

Solo homers from Ketel Marte and Jake McCarthy produced the only runs off Darvish tonight. The win put the 39-year-old at 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA in 15 starts this season. It figures to be between he and Dylan Cease for the third spot in the Padres’ rotation in the Wild Card series against the Cubs, and one imagines Cease will have the advantage there.

Darvish racked up four strikeouts in the ballgame and didn’t walk a batter. The White Sox scratched out a run against him in the opening inning on a two-out, RBI double by Miguel Vargas. They added another in the third on an RBI double by Kyle Teel. Darvish finished just one out shy of getting through five innings in this one, which is unfortunate for fantasy managers as the Padres rallied to take the lead in the sixth and he would have earned a victory. He got five whiffs on 78 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 29 percent. Darvish will carry a 5.51 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 64/17 K/BB ratio (67 innings) into his final regular season tune-up against the Diamondbacks on Friday.

It would have been nice to see Darvish fare a little better in a home start against the league’s worst offense, but the win is appreciated. Darvish gave up just a Mickey Moniak solo homer through five. The remaining runs came in the sixth, when he was pulled after a HBP and a single. Moniak then hit a three-run homer off Jeremiah Estrada. Darvish will make his next start on the road against the White Sox.