The idea of impermanence has long been on the mind of Yu Darvish. Thirty months ago, the Padres starter sat in the upstairs auditorium at Petco Park and spoke about an unexpected development. He had just signed a six-year contract extension that would take him through his 42nd birthday.
"For me, it's hard to believe," Darvish said. "I actually thought that I was close to my end as a baseball player."
In the three seasons since, Darvish has become the winningest Japanese-born pitcher between the major leagues and Nippon Professional Baseball. He has also made a total of 51 starts and multiple trips to the injured list. For years, on days he pitches, he has worn a shirt featuring a photo of Norifumi Yamamoto.
Darvish knew Yamamoto. The latter was an accomplished mixed martial artist and the older brother of Darvish's wife, former world champion wrestler Seiko Yamamoto. Norifumi Yamamoto died at age 41 in 2018, weeks after he announced he had been diagnosed with stomach cancer.
It was also days after Darvish underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow, concluding an injury-plagued campaign with the Chicago Cubs. Earlier that summer, he told the Los Angeles Times he had thought about retiring after the 2017 season -- and that his subsequent trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers revived his passion for baseball.
Last weekend, the 39-year-old demonstrated his ongoing dedication amid a pennant race. Darvish, who will start Wednesday against the Seattle Mariners, faced his former team and held the Dodgers to one run. For the fourth time since he turned 35, he threw at least six innings and allowed no more than one hit. (No other Padres pitcher has had one such outing after age 34.) It was his ninth start since elbow inflammation delayed his season debut until July, and following a 2-1 win, a teammate with relevant experience called it Darvish's best outing of the summer.
"I know what he's been dealing with to get back on the mound and how much it meant to him to kind of just get back to being himself," said third baseman Manny Machado, who underwent elbow surgery in 2023. "I know as a player, it kind of sucks when you're not 100 percent or you're battling through something, so to see him go out there and pitch like he did today, I think it was special. You know, that's Darvish. That's our guy."
It indeed resembled vintage Darvish, albeit with a twist. On July 30, after pitching to a 9.18 ERA in his first four starts, the routine-oriented veteran made what he described as a "drastic" change. En route to recording a historic win, he lowered his arm angle from an average of 40 degrees to 33 degrees, according to Statcast. Six days later, he dropped it further, to 28 degrees. It has hovered around there ever since.
Darvish's post-adjustment results include three quality starts, four Padres victories and a 3.00 ERA. He is still throwing a vast array of pitches, reminding recently acquired catcher Freddy Fermin of former Kansas City Royals teammates Seth Lugo and Zack Greinke. But now, Darvish's pitches are moving differently than before.
"From a higher slot, you're going to create more north-south pitches. From (a lower) slot, you're going to create more east-west pitches," Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. "His ability to still maintain eight different looks, nine different looks, is really impressive."
Niebla, who began his coaching career more than two decades ago, said he had never had a pitcher drop their arm slot this much in the middle of a season. The idea was Darvish's. The right-hander, famous for his constant experimenting, needed only one bullpen session to readopt the kind of angle he used when he first arrived in the majors in 2012.
"I think that it felt comfortable and felt normal and felt like he was stronger right there right now," Niebla said. "You know, he missed time on the IL, and it's just trying to figure something out."
Darvish has not publicly detailed the status of his elbow, but his prior injuries are well-documented. He required Tommy John surgery in 2015. He was diagnosed with a stress reaction in 2018, before he underwent an arthroscopic debridement. Another stress reaction ended his 2023 season. He missed three months in 2024, first as he dealt with an elbow issue and then as he tended to a private family matter. Earlier this season, he acknowledged he had been unsure if the elbow inflammation that arose in spring training would allow him to continue his career.
It was not the first time Darvish had indicated a lack of certainty. When he signed his extension, he was asked how long he believed he could maintain his level as one of the sport's better pitchers.
"I can't really give you a solid answer on that," Darvish, speaking through interpreter Shingo Horie, said at the time. "But I just want to go as far as I can go. And I'm just going to push myself as hard as I can. One thing I can say is that the preparation is always going to be there. The hard work is always going to be there."
For some in his orbit, it would be surprising if Darvish, with his injury history, plays through the end of his contract. He has already shown a willingness to forfeit significant money; while he was away from the team last summer, he volunteered to go on the restricted list and stayed there until his return.
In the meantime, Darvish remains a marvel to teammates and coaches. As one of eight active big leaguers age 39 or older, he has kept himself in impeccable shape. When he isn't in what seems to be near-constant motion, he shares his extensive knowledge with pitchers and hitters alike.
"He loves baseball, man," said Machado, who credited Darvish after homering last week against the San Francisco Giants. "He's just so prepared for everything that can possibly happen in a game."
Darvish's meticulousness explains why he continues to adhere to an unusual practice, periodically playing catch with his off hand. It's believed that, throwing as a lefty, he has touched the low 80s.
"It's amazing, that guy's body control," Padres manager Mike Shildt said.
"I've seen guys get on the mound (and throw with their off hand), and then it will be like, 'OK, you can tell,'" Niebla said. "The thing is, with this guy, he does long toss from the left side. And then the other thing is that his delivery almost looks the same."
Added Fermin: "He's kind of like an experimental pitcher. He has so many things he can do. The way that he's been able to prepare himself up to even now, and just at this time that he's at in his career, is so impressive to see."
Friday against the Dodgers, that meant throwing five pitch types to the first batter of the game. Darvish started off Shohei Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP, with a sweeper for a called strike near the bottom of the zone. The at-bat ended, five pitches later, when Ohtani grounded out against a more traditional slider.
The next day, recently acquired left-hander Nestor Cortes began another win with a called strike near the bottom of the zone. Ohtani ended up striking out.
"(Darvish) threw a first-pitch sweeper to Ohtani to start off (Friday's) game," Cortes said. "I definitely took that. I threw him a first-pitch cutter."
By the end of the night, a Padres veteran and a newcomer had provided consecutive boosts of confidence to a rotation that appears to be the thinnest area of the roster. Darvish and Cortes became the first pair of starters to throw at least six innings and allow no more than one hit in back-to-back games against the Dodgers since Stoney McGlynn and Jack Pfiester in 1906.
For Darvish, in one sense, it was nothing new. Since joining the Padres in a December 2020 trade from the Cubs, he has compiled a 2.58 ERA in 16 regular-season meetings with the Dodgers. He has delivered a 2.56 ERA in six postseason starts. Those include a pair of strong performances in last October's hotly contested National League Division Series.
Wednesday in Seattle, the Padres will resume their pursuit of a division title. Darvish, whose 2017 World Series experience ended in anguish, remains a crucial character. As he contends for collective glory, he is engaged in his own race against time.
"He enjoys the game very much," Niebla said. "For him to be doing what he's doing and changing slots -- he's still coming out here and changing shapes and preparing himself the way he does -- it's only self-explanatory to the path that he's taking."