San Diego Padres pitcher Darvish Yu (37) will start his 13th season in the major leagues.
Darvish will start the 2023 season, starting with the Arizona Diamondbacks on the 5th of next month (Korean time). Initially, it was expected that he would be selected for the opening game on the 31st of this month, but he skipped the mound due to the aftereffects of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and adjusted his condition with bullpen pitching.
Darvish threw 37 pitches in bullpen pitching at Peoria Spring Camp in Arizona on the 29th. Darvish started training for the Japanese national team on February 17 and did not attend the team spring camp, so he took time to adapt to electronic devices such as pitch clock and pitch com. By the 31st he is expected to throw about 80 pitches in minor league practice games.
The reason San Diego cares for Darvish is because of their trust and need for him. San Diego was the only player in the major leagues who participated in the WBC that did not participate in Darvish’s camp. Coach Bob Melvin showed his belief that “he will take care of himself and prepare well for the season opener.”
San Diego surprised even the player by signing a six-year, $108 million contract on February 10, right before Darvish left for pre-training. Darvish said at a press conference at the time, “Honestly, I never thought of a six-year contract. It is very meaningful to be able to continue playing baseball in San Diego.” San Diego has to save Darvish, who will play for six years, until he is 42 years old.
Now it is Darvish’s turn to respond to the expectations and trust of the club. Darvish recorded 16 wins and 8 losses last year,안전놀이터 achieving the same number of individual wins as in 2012, his first year in the major leagues. Innings (194⅔innings) was the second most after 2013 (209⅔innings). He showed the so-called ‘no field’ and recorded the most wins and the most innings in the team.
Darvish’s mission is also very important this year. Another pitcher, Joe Musgrove, who signed a long-term contract for 5 years and 100 million dollars in August of last year, suffered a fractured big toe during weight training on the 1st of this month, and San Diego missed the opening game. For the time being, Darvish and Blake Snell should take the one-two punch.