The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Yu Darvish on the restricted list for an indefinite period for what manager Mike Shildt called “a personal matter involving his family.”
Shildt, in making the announcement Saturday, did not provide information on the nature of Darvish’s situation to give him privacy. Darvish, 37, is on the team’s 10-day injured list because of a left groin strain and right elbow inflammation, and he last pitched on May 29.
“He’s dealing with a personal matter involving his family,” Shildt said. “Clearly we want to respect his privacy. He wants to make sure everybody knows he’s physically in a good spot. He’s still working on his craft. But he is going to step away for right now and deal with some things on a personal level.
“We’re going to love and support him. He’s part of the Padre family. But at the moment, he’s going to take a break from the team.”
A five-time All-Star, Darvish is 4-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 11 starts this season. He also missed time in April because of a neck issue. In 12 major league seasons, he is 107-88 with a 3.58 ERA in 277 starts for the Texas Rangers (2012-17), Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Chicago Cubs (2018-20) and Padres. Prior to making the move to MLB, the Osaka Prefecture native played seven seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, posting a 93-38 record with a 1.99 ERA.
Players can be on the restricted list for numerous reasons with MLB approval. They remain under contract but they are no longer with the ballclub, which may affect their compensation.