The baseball gods have a wicked sense of timing—and on July 12, it was no exception. Yu Darvish was playing his second game of the season, and it went flat. And the Friar Faithful are being anything but nice. This time, the target wasn’t only Darvish, but the manager’s decision to keep him in the game for a long time against the Phillies’ fiery lineup.

In his second start back from injury, he pitched only 4.2 innings. In those, he gave up five hits, four earned runs, three walks, and only two strikeouts. Yu Darvish’s ERA went up to 6.48. And his potential comeback rapidly turned into a considerable debate.

And a tweet from a renowned Padres beat writer, AJ Cassavell, got to the core of the matter. He wrote, “Mike Shildt let a not-yet-fully-built-up Yu Darvish face the top of the Phillies lineup a third time through, and Darvish nearly escaped. But Edmundo Sosa’s two-out, two-run single put the Phillies on top 4-3. Darvish gives way to a bullpen that’s likely without several key arms.” A harsh critic! And soon it got the baseball enthusiasts talking. The Padres won by 6-5. But Yu Darvish’s performance was not viewed positively.

Yu Darvish is actively regaining his rhythm on the mound after missing time with right elbow discomfort since mid-March. In his season debut against the D-backs, he struck out five batters but allowed two runs on three hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings, resulting in a 6–3 loss. While his stats may appear decent, he has areas to improve.

Despite an uneven start against Arizona, he remains optimistic.“You find out what you need to adjust, what you need to work on. So I’ll just keep making those adjustments, just keep working.” However, it was this period of “working through adjustments” that made Mike Shildt’s decision to leave Darvish in for a third time so questionable. The manager knew the pitcher was working on his rhythm, arm strength, and overcoming inactivity-related rust.

What should have been a careful building process turned into a backlash. And the reaction on Twitter was quick and harsh.

Fans blast Shildt’s call to stretch Darvish deep

Fans were extremely frustrated, and it sparked a storm. And forget Darvish—fingers were pointed directly at Manager Shildt for his decision. “Mike’s gotta instill confidence in Yu and build that arm strength, but Yu was showing fatigue… That wasn’t the best fielding, either.” Extending the pitching wasn’t the only questionable call—the defense was shaky, too.

One fan offered a blunt assessment: “Yu Darvish is so washed. Phillies luck is insane.” His prime has clearly passed. Remember when he struck out 199 batters in 2021 during his first season with the Padres? That version of Darvish had power and movement. Now, it just isn’t there anymore.

Echoing a previous sentiment, one comment read, “Yu Darvish cannot even get 3 Ks. Unbelievable. These sportsbooks make so much money.” Strikeouts used to define him, but lately, they’re not coming. And when you fail to deliver, fans will question that $108 million contract.

One fan revisited his injury situation: “Darvish should have been replaced. That last at-bat by Sosa—Yu’s arm was about to fall off. Not smart when you’re coming off a long stint on the IL. @faridyu なんで？” Returning from injury is no easy task, and the manager knows that better than anyone—but this time, he ignored it.

And what’s a baseball meltdown without sarcasm from the fans? “Idk what the numbers say, but feels like the Phillies own Yu Darvish. Darvish gives up 4 runs tonight.” That two-run single by Edmundo Sosa added insult to injury, pushing the Phillies’ total up by two more—thanks to Darvish’s mistake.

Now, the real question is whether Shildt will adjust Darvish’s workload. The Padres have more important games on the horizon, and mismanaging an arm like Darvish’s could cost them big.