The San Diego Padres entered spring training with the assumption that their starting lineup would largely depend on the success of the experienced Yu Darvish.

Along with Joe Musgrove, Darvish was one of only two players on the Padres’ roster to have made the All-Star team in the past. Musgrove made it once, Darvish five times.

When Darvish was sidelined with a groin strain in May, the injury was a major blow to the Padres’ chances. His absence was further marred by his being placed on the restricted list for personal reasons the team never disclosed.

Darvish was placed on the restricted list on July 6 and hasn’t received a paycheck since then. Until Friday.

The Padres announced that Darvish will return to the team in San Diego and will be placed on the 15-day injured list, a procedural step that will allow him to return to the active roster in September.

Thanks to unexpected depth in the lineup, rotation and bullpen, San Diego is 4.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and would reach the postseason as a wild card team if the season ended today.

Darvish, 38, was 4-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 11 starts before suffering the groin injury.

In 12 major league seasons with the Padres, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, Darvish is 107-88 with a 3.58 ERA in 277 starts. Darvish is the second-best Japanese-born pitcher in MLB history in games started, wins and innings pitched; Padres consultant Hideo Nomo ranks him first in all three categories.

The more exciting question for the Padres is who Darvish can be next month and beyond the 2024 season.

Darvish’s long layoff makes it understandable that he may need a minor league rehab outing or two before he can return to the major league mound. Padres manager Mike Shildt recently told reporters that Darvish has been throwing on his own during his absence from the team, but it’s unclear whether he’s thrown with anywhere near his usual intensity and velocity.

The Padres sent Matt Waldron to Triple-A El Paso on Thursday, so they now have an open spot in the rotation. Darvish won’t be able to fill it for another 15 days, but his spot is practically waiting for him when he’s ready.

The San Diego rotation, led by Dylan Cease and Michael King, has performed admirably in Darvish’s absence, with Musgrove also recently returning from an extended stint on the injured list.

If the Padres are at full speed with Darvish in a month, they will be a dangerous team in the postseason.

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