Padres notes: Yu Darvish will miss 2026 season; options declined on three more players

Yu Darvish does not appear to be retiring, but he will not pitch for the Padres in 2026.

The 39-year-old right-hander underwent both an internal brace procedure on his ulnar collateral ligament and a flexor tendon repair on Oct. 29, sidelining him for the next 12 to 15 months.

The Padres confirmed the surgery after Darvish revealed his status on social media: “I will not be able to pitch in games during the 2026 season. I will work hard on my rehabilitation to be able to throw a ball comfortably again.”

先週水曜日にDr.Meisterから肘の手術を受けました。
2026年シーズンは試合で投げることが出来ません。
また気持ちよくボールが投げられるようにリハビリ頑張ります。

Last Wednesday I had surgery done by Dr. Meister to repair my flexor tendon, have an internal brace attached to my UCL.I…

— ダルビッシュ有(Yu Darvish) (@faridyu) November 4, 2025

A balky elbow delayed Darvish’s debut until July 7 and was a source of consternation as he posted a career-worst 5.38 ERA over 72 innings. He altered his arm angle to get through 15 starts and said an opportunity to pitch in the postseason would allow him to operate without worrying if he would “break,” casting doubt on his ability to pitch through the remainder of a contract that would pay him $46 million over the next three years, including $16 million in 2026.

Darvish allowed two runs on four hits and a hit batter in one-plus inning in his NL Wild Card Series start in a Game 3 loss. Afterward, he was asked about a plan to get ready to pitch in 2026.

“We just lost; our season just ended,” Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie. “That’s something I’ll go into the offseason and think about. I can’t really wrap my mind around that right now.”

Less than a month later, Darvish had Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, revisit a UCL originally reconstructed by Dr. James Andrews in 2015. Meister previously performed an arthroscopic debridement surgery in September 2018.

The surgery wiping out the 2026 season only adds to the uncertainty facing the Padres’ rotation.

Dylan Cease filed for free agency on Sunday, Michael King opted out of his deal shortly after that and Joe Musgrove will be just returning from his Tommy John surgery when pitchers and catchers report in February.

That leaves Nick Pivetta as the unquestioned No. 1 starter entering this offseason and the team looking to add to depth that includes Randy Vásquez, JP Sears and knuckleballer Matt Waldron.

The Padres as of last month had not ruled out transitioning Mason Miller, Adrián Morejón or even Jeremiah Estrada to the rotation, but even that would open up another hole in a bullpen that saw closer Robert Suarez opt out of the last two years of his deal earlier this week.

More option decisions

The Padres cut ties with three more players Tuesday, declining team options on left-hander Kyle Hart and utility man Tyler Wade and declining their half of a mutual option on catcher Elias Díaz.

Díaz, 34, will receive a $2 million buyout in lieu of the $7 million he would have been paid in 2026.

Wade, who was designated for assignment twice this year only to remain in the organization in the minors, will receive a $50,000 buyout instead of the $1 million he would have received in 2026 as part of the deal he signed before the season.

Meantime, Hart gets a $500,000 buyout instead of the $5 million he would have been owed in 2026.

All three are now free agents.

The only option decision remaining is the team option on outfielder Ramón Laureano ($6 million), which is expected to be exercised by Thursday’s deadline.