Yu Darvish Throwing Bullpens After Right Elbow Surgery, Return Timeline Unclear
Yu Darvish has progressed to bullpen sessions while recovering from right elbow surgery, per AJ Cassavell at MLB.com, though no return timetable has been established.
Yu Darvish is back on a mound — a bullpen mound, at least. Per AJ Cassavell at MLB.com, the San Diego right-hander has progressed to throwing bullpen sessions as he works back from right elbow surgery, though when he might rejoin the Padres rotation remains an open question.
The step forward is meaningful in the sense that bullpen work represents a tangible escalation from flat-ground throwing, but the report stops well short of projecting a return date. No timetable has been offered.
Why it matters right now
San Diego's pitching situation has been under strain. Robert Suarez has not yet begun throwing off a mound, with manager Walt Weiss describing a return before season's end as possible but uncertain, per earlier reporting. Nick Pivetta recently completed a three-inning Single-A rehab start with Lake Elsinore, working through his own recovery assignment. Against that backdrop, any forward movement from Darvish carries operational weight for a club that has scored just 2 runs over a 21-inning stretch and is leaning heavily on its available arms — Adrian Morejon, for instance, handled high-leverage extra-innings work in back-to-back games recently.
What remains unconfirmed
Everything beyond the bullpen sessions themselves. There is no reported next step, no target date, and no indication of how Darvish has responded to the increased workload. Bullpen sessions are progress; they are not a timetable.
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