Yu Darvish placed on restricted list, San Diego Padres finalize Opening Day roster

The San Diego Padres today placed Japanese right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish on the restricted list, completing their final adjustments to the 26-man roster ahead of Friday's home opener against the Detroit Tigers.

Yu Darvish is currently recovering from right elbow surgery, which will sideline him for the entire 2026 season. His contract still has three years remaining, but it remains unclear whether he will attempt a full comeback from this surgery. This move does not appear to alter that situation—there are currently no indications that Darvish will announce retirement soon.

Players placed on the restricted list remain under contract control by their MLB team, but they are no longer part of the active roster and are not required to be paid. There are various reasons for placing a player on the restricted list, which require MLB approval.

Essentially, Yu Darvish is no longer with the Padres team, although his locker remains in the clubhouse at Petco Park where the Padres trained today. His departure opens a spot on the 40-man roster, which the Padres will use to add Ty France and Walker Buehler. Additionally, this could free up significant salary space, as Darvish's salary for 2026 is $15 million. Teams do not pay players on the restricted list, and there is no fixed duration for how long a player remains on the list.

Yu Darvish also agreed to be placed on the restricted list in 2024, when he left the team due to what the club described as "personal matters involving family." He was away for several months and was reinstated at the end of the season. This situation is clearly different, as Darvish was already slated to miss the entire season due to elbow surgery. He underwent right elbow ulnar collateral ligament repair surgery with an internal brace implanted in October last year. In January this year, after reports surfaced about his potential retirement, Darvish denied them on social media.

“You may have seen an article; although I lean towards voiding the contract, there are still many matters to discuss with the Padres organization, so details are not yet finalized,” Darvish wrote. “Furthermore, I will not announce retirement immediately.”

“Currently, I am fully focused on elbow rehabilitation. If I can recover to a state where I can pitch again, I will resume competition. If I reach a point where I feel I cannot do it, I will announce retirement.”

Yu Darvish participated with the Japanese team during the Classic, but reported briefly to the Padres' spring training camp this year. He seems not to have reached that point yet. Whenever that day arrives, he will be celebrated as one of the finest pitchers of his generation. Over 13 seasons with the Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs, and Padres, he recorded 115 wins and 93 losses, with an ERA of 3.65 and 2075 strikeouts. His combined total of 208 wins in MLB and Japanese professional baseball ranks him first historically among Japanese players.