San Diego Padres starting pitcher Yu Darvish hasn't been the best on the bump lately for the team, and he'll be the first to tell you.
The Japanese sensation got off to a late start in the 2025 season after an elbow injury sidelined his season debut until almost the All-Star break.
Since then, through his first 11 starts, he has posted an abnormally high 5.75 earned run average, and the former Texas Ranger could only describe his struggles with one word.
Darvish Called His Rough Outings 'Inconsistent'
“Inconsistent would probably be the word,” Darvish said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I was able to get a quick strike one, strike two, but I just … couldn’t find a pitch that I could really command and finish off hitters. So, it was a bit of a struggle. The games that I can, that I’m able to command well, I’m able to get through the game. But as of now, if I can’t find the right command, if my pitches aren’t coming out right, then I do struggle in a game.”
Struggles in the starting rotation haven't only plagued Darvish, as combined, the Padres starters have a 7.52 ERA in 2025, as the Los Angeles Dodgers slowly start pulling away at the top of the NL West standings.