Yu Darvish is focusing on rehabilitation and not thinking much about pitching; rumors circulate about possible retirement during the remaining three years of his contract.

Yu Darvish, the Japanese pitcher for the San Diego Padres who underwent elbow surgery in October and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season, stated today at a charity event that at 39 years old, he is concentrating on his rehab and is not currently thinking about returning to the major league mound.

“I’m focused on rehab right now and not thinking about pitching,” Darvish told American media through a translator. “Those thoughts aren’t on my mind; I’m just trying to get through the rehab. If I feel the urge to come back and believe I can return to the mound, then I will work toward that goal. But for now, my attention is here.”

Some U.S. media have interpreted these remarks as Darvish being uncertain about whether he will pitch again in the major leagues. Kevin Acee, a reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune, even reported that three sources have revealed he is considering retirement.

Regarding his 2025 season, Darvish said, “When I was pitching, I didn’t feel like I was contributing to the team. In my mind, I thought maybe this would be the end for me. So, throughout the season, I was kind of just hanging in there, trying my best to perform for the team.”

Before the start of the 2023 season, Darvish signed a six-year guaranteed contract with the Padres worth $108 million. In the first three years of the deal, he pitched a total of 290 innings, averaging 8.9 strikeouts and 2.6 walks per nine innings, with an ERA below the league average of 4.41. For the remaining three seasons, his combined salary is $43 million.

In 2024, Darvish also missed three months due to injury. At one point, when he needed to return to Japan for personal matters, the team allowed him to stay on the injured list, but he felt it was inappropriate to continue receiving pay, so he voluntarily entered the restricted list and did not draw a salary during those seven weeks. When announcing his surgery recently, he said he expects to forfeit his $15 million salary for the 2026 season.