Padres lose Yu Darvish for the 2026 season
San Diego was dealt a major blow to their starting rotation next season. The team announced on Tuesday that Yu Darvish had undergone an internal brace procedure (the less-taxing alternative to Tommy John surgery) to repair a tear in his UCL and flexor tendon. Darvish, who will turn 40 before Opening Day, will miss the entire 2026 season.
Elbow inflammation arose during spring training last year, delaying Darvish’s season debut to early July. He would make 15 starts the rest of the way, posting a 5.38 ERA (80 ERA+) over 72.0 IP with a 4.7 HR% and 23.0 K% — all career worsts.
Concerns already existed about the future for the legendary right-hander. Darvish agreed to a uniquely structured six-year, $108 million extension with the Padres in April 2023. The bulk of the deal was front-loaded; he’s due sums of $16M, $15M, and $15M over the next three seasons. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted in October that the possibility of Darvish’s retirement had been discussed. Per Acee’s sources, “Darvish has not made any assurances about completing his contract” and “there has been talk for more than a year about the possibility he could retire at any time”.
Darvish began his pro career at age 18 with the NPB’s Nippon Ham Fighters. Darvish was 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA over 1268.1 IP with 1,250 strikeouts during his seven seasons in the NPB, winning two Pacific League MVPs (2007, 2009) and the Eiji Sawamura Award (2007). He was posted for MLB teams before the 2012 season at his request, with the Texas Rangers placing the highest bid for the rights to negotiate with him ($51.7 million). With minutes to spare before the 30-day deadline, Texas and Darvish agreed to a six-year, $60 million contract.
Over his 13 seasons in MLB — with the Rangers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Padres — Darvish has a 115-93 record and a 3.65 ERA (116 ERA+) over 1778.0 IP with 2,075 strikeouts. He finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting and has finished in the top five in Cy Young Award voting twice.
Darvish is the winningest pitcher to spend significant time in both the NPB and MLB (208 wins). Just 20 MLB pitchers have ever topped the 3,000 strikeout mark (Darvish has 3,325 between the two leagues, which would rank 14th all-time between Phil Niekro and Ferguson Jenkins).
One has to think Darvish hopes to pitch again — otherwise, why go through with the surgery and rehab? — but it’s hard to ignore the possibility that his career is over.
Astros land PPI pick; Atlanta could, too
Beginning with the 2022 season, incentives (the prospect promotion incentive pick, or PPI) were introduced to keep teams from stashing their top prospects in the minor leagues to start the season (an effort to game the service time system; teams gained an extra year of club control in many instances by delaying a player’s debut to mid-May or later). There are two qualifications a player needs to meet to be eligible for a PPI:
Players must spend most of the season on the club’s active roster (this usually requires a debut in the season’s first two weeks).
Players must appear on at least two of the three major pre-season prospect rankings (MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and ESPN).
If an eligible player either (a) wins the Rookie of the Year Award or (b) finishes in the top three of either Cy Young or MVP voting during his pre-arbitration seasons (typically the first 1-3 years of club control), the team will earn an extra draft pick following the first round of the upcoming draft.
Astros right-hander Hunter Brown was named as a finalist for the AL Cy Young Award, which will earn Houston a PPI pick. He was 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA (172 ERA+) over 185.1 IP this season, while landing his first All-Star nod.
Atlanta’s catcher Drake Baldwin was also named a finalist for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, which could net the Braves an extra pick, too, if he wins. Baldwin hit .274/.341/.469 (176 OPS+) over 446 PA with 19 HR and 80 RBI.
Brown is the fifth player to win his team a PPI pick. Julio Rodríguez, Corbin Carroll, and Gunnar Henderson each did so by winning the Rookie of the Year Award. Bobby Witt Jr. finished as a finalist for the MVP Award in 2024.
Elsewhere, around the sport …
Right-hander Peter Lambert has agreed to a minor league deal with the Astros after an up-and-down season in Japan with the Yakult Swallows. Lambert posted a 4.26 ERA over 116.1 IP (the fifth-highest ERA among pitchers with at least 100 IP), but struck out 20.5% of the batters he faced. The 28-year-old spent parts of four seasons with the Rockies, with a 6.58 ERA (79 ERA+) over 243.2 IP (74 appearances, 35 starts).
In a second cost-saving move of the day (after declining Shota Imanaga’s options), the Cubs have traded right-handed Andrew Kittredge to the Orioles for cash considerations. Baltimore will likely exercise Kittredge’s $10 million option for the 2026 season. The veteran reliever signed with the Orioles last offseason and began the year on the IL, before a July trade to Chicago. He posted a 3.40 ERA (118 ERA+) over 53.0 IP between the two teams in 2025.
Right-hander Alec Marsh missed the entire 2025 season while dealing with shoulder discomfort. The Royals will go without the 27-year-old for the 2026 season, as well, after he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Rachel Folden has left the Cubs to become the hitting coach at Double-A Binghamton (Mets). Folden, the first female coach in Cubs history, has served in several roles within the organization since being hired before the 2021 season, including spending the 2025 season as the hitting coach with Triple-A Iowa.