Padres Make Roster Move To Protect Yu Darvish, Dylan Cease Ahead Of Playoffs

The San Diego Padres are in a strong position as the MLB postseason approaches. Entering Friday, they sit second in the National League wild card standings, holding a four-game lead over the New York Mets and a five and a half-game cushion over the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds, who are the last teams outside of a wild-card spot.

Beyond their wild card spot, the Padres remain in striking distance of two key goals: the NL West division title, just 2.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the top wild card seed, trailing the Chicago Cubs by 3.5 games. With only 15 regular-season games left, the team is far from easing off the gas.

Still, with the MLB playoffs looming, manager Mike Shildt is taking a strategic approach to preserve his rotation’s health. To manage the workload of veteran starters Yu Darvish and Dylan Cease, Shildt has called up left-hander JP Sears from Triple-A El Paso. Sears is slated to start Friday night against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.

“We know we’re keeping everybody in a position where they can go out and go pitch and dominate like a starter should,” Shildt said about this decision, according to CBS Sports.

Sears has made three starts for San Diego this season, posting a 1–1 record with a 5.52 ERA across 14.2 innings, allowing 19 hits, 10 runs (9 earned), 8 strikeouts, and 3 walks.

The 29-year-old pitcher debuted in the majors in 2022 with the New York Yankees and later joined the Oakland Athletics before arriving in San Diego earlier this season. His career includes 106 MLB appearances, 100 of them as a starter, with 30 wins, 40 losses, 454 strikeouts, and a 4.51 ERA.

Meanwhile, Yu Darvish has struggled in 2025, recording just 3 wins and 5 losses in 12 starts, with a career-worst 5.65 ERA. Dylan Cease has fared slightly better, going 7–11 in 29 games, with a 4.71 ERA.

With a current record of 80–67, the Padres would clinch a wild card playoff berth if the season ended today, setting up a potential first-round matchup against the Chicago Cubs.

This roster move signals that the Padres are not only focused on securing postseason positioning, but also on preserving pitching depth for October. The playoff race intensifies and every strategic decision could make the difference.

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