Darvish proactively informed that he cannot participate in the WBC; Japan’s head coach Hirokazu Ibata: We will keep in touch.

San Diego Padres’ 39-year-old Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish underwent elbow surgery last week and is confirmed to miss the entire 2026 season. This also means he will not be able to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic next March. However, Japan’s head coach Hirokazu Ibata stated in an interview that they will maintain contact with Darvish, hoping to leverage his extensive major league pitching experience to assist the national team.

Yu Darvish had surgery last week to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Considering the 12 to 15 months recovery period required for this operation, it not only rules him out for the entire 2026 season but also means he will be unable to play for the national team in next March’s Classic tournament.

Japan’s head coach Hirokazu Ibata revealed that he has received communication from Darvish informing him of his inability to participate. Nevertheless, he still hopes the veteran can offer other forms of support to the national team. Ibata commented, "Although he can’t compete this time, we will continue to stay in contact. Including sharing information, we hope he can pass on the experience and knowledge he has gained from many years playing in the U.S.”

Moving forward, the Japanese team will begin training camp. Ibata pointed out that both practices and games will follow MLB equipment and rules, including pitch communication systems, pitch clocks, enlarged bases, and Classic tournament balls. He said, "These are already quite common in the U.S., but many are new to Japanese players. One purpose of this camp is to familiarize ourselves with these new elements, and we will try all of them.”