I got paid… it would be rude not to throw” Darvish refuses to quit the season, showing responsibility for a highly paid worker

It’s my job to go to the game.”

Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish (37, San Diego Padres), who suffered an elbow injury, breathed a sigh of relief. According to local media reports such as ‘MLB.com’ on the 1st (Korean time), Darvish flew to Texas to meet Dr. Keith Meister, who performed his elbow surgery in the past, and received a test. As a result, an overgrown bone was found in his right elbow, but no structural damage was found. 

Darvish, who was placed on the injured list after feeling elbow pain in the game against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 26th of last month, met with reporters at Petco Park, his home stadium in San Diego, and said, “I feel relieved that there is no problem with my ligaments.” Darvish, who received an injection of cortisone to treat inflammation, will not be able to throw for 3 to 5 days, but expressed his intention to return before the end of the season. 토토사이트

However, there were only 27 games left in his San Diego season. San Diego, which is ranked 4th in the National League (NL) West Division and 7th in the Wild Card with 62 wins and 73 losses, has widened the gap with 3rd place San Francisco (70 wins, 64 losses), which is the postseason cutoff point, to 8.5 games. 

Since hope for the postseason is almost gone, there is support for the opinion that it is better to save one’s body and prepare for the next season rather than forcefully returning for the remainder of the season. Darvish, who played for the Japanese national team in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) before the season, was fatigued as he prepared earlier than usual. Since a player’s body is his or her asset, it is completely understandable to make this decision if the team situation is not urgent. 

However, Darvish said he plans to take just a few days off and start playing catch. “It’s my job to go to games,” he said. “I get paid to go out and throw the ball,” he said, adding, “It would be rude if you don’t make an effort to return,” revealing a strong sense of responsibility and mission as a highly paid worker. 

Darvish, who went 30 games (194 ⅔ innings) last year with a record of 16 wins, 8 losses, an ERA of 3.10, 197 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 0.95, signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension with San Diego in February of this year. Unusually for a pitcher, he signed a long-term contract guaranteed until the age of 42. It was an unprecedented condition that no one expected. 

Darvish also said after his extension, “I can’t believe this is true or not. He never thought he would be offered a six-year contract. “The trust that San Diego has shown me means a lot,” he said, adding that he was very grateful to the club. 

However, he has not lived up to expectations since the first year of his extension contract. He is showing ups and downs this year with 8 wins, 10 losses, 4.56 earned runs, 141 strikeouts, and 1.30 WHIP in 24 games (136⅓ innings), showing results that do not match his high price tag. 

He is keenly aware of his responsibility. Regarding the situation where the team’s postseason is far away, Darvish said, “It would be disrespectful to my job to take a break and not return just because the team’s situation is not good. You have to consider the remaining contract period, but no one can know what next year will bring. “All I have now is today and tomorrow,” he said, expressing his refusal to quit the season.