Hit hard early

Mookie Betts hits a tiebreaking solo homer in the eighth inning, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 on Sunday.

Due to those struggles, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report called Darvish one of the most overpaid pitchers in baseball. He's making $21 million in 2025 and has a few more years left on his deal. Between his contract and play, Darvish is among the most overpaid pitchers in baseball this season.

Yu Darvish continues to draw attention in San Diego, with his coach making a bold statement about the veteran pitcher’s unique skills.

See why my Padres vs. Dodgers predictions and MLB picks for August 17 eye the Under. The first two games of the series both resulted in an Under as the San Diego Padres have been slumbering at the plate, managing just two combined runs. With Tyler Glasnow on the hill, it’s hard to predict a quick return to form for San Diego’s bats.

Darvish hasn't needed his bat since the National League adopted the designated hitter rule permanently in 2022. But he still warms up left-handed on occasion, as evidenced by this video posted to Twitter/X on Tuesday by Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla:

Padres’ Yu Darvish on Roki Sasaki: ‘It’s a good thing if he were to come to San Diego’ By Dennis Lin Dec. 13, 2024Updated Jan. 6, 2025

Sunday’s victory hardly made up for the fateful loss of a championship to the Houston Astros eight years ago, but it did finish off a sweep of the San Diego Padres as the Dodgers regained their grip on first place in the National League West.

Yu Darvish has been one of the most dominating pitchers in MLB that came from Japan. The five-time MLB All-Star has stood the test of time since his U.S.