Q. I know you have a fondness for Wrigley Field. Just the opportunity to pitch here in the postseason potentially tomorrow and how you're feeling about that from the perspective of what this place means to you.
YU DARVISH: Yeah, this place did me good. The organization, the fans did me good, too. Wrigley Field does have a special place in my heart, and I just feel fortunate that I may have the possibility to pitch on the mound here.
Q. What do you recall about the day you were traded to the Padres? Traditionally it's the Padres who -- it would seem like a role reversal, the Cubs shedding money and the Padres taking on a player like you. What do you recall about that trade?
YU DARVISH: No, I didn't have too much thoughts on that.
Q. Do you remember what you were doing and when you got the news, what was happening as you were traded? I think it was in late December.
YU DARVISH: To be dead honest with you, I really don't remember what I was doing then. I remember that I had a -- they did a press conference with me and Blake Snell. I remember that part. But other than that, I don't remember much about that.
Q. How do you reflect on this season given the challenges that were the first half and then coming back from the injury and getting back into it, and what has allowed you to improve as the season went on?
YU DARVISH: Yeah, I struggled a whole lot, obviously, with the elbow situation, and it was very tough to deal with. I had a lot of great support from the organization, from our staff, which was super helpful.
Right now I just feel fortunate to be here to be able to pitch.
Q. You mentioned after your last start that the playoffs, it's different. You don't care if your elbow breaks. It's the way you're going to pitch. What kind of future do you imagine for yourself with the Padres after this season given that the elbow has kind of been a thing for you for a couple years?
YU DARVISH: Right now I just can't see that far away. I mean, I'm super focused on what may happen tomorrow.
Q. The first day of the playoffs was a really good day for Japanese ballplayers, Yoshida, Seiya, Shohei, obviously. I know you'd rather see Seiya do well against another team, but what is it like for you to see so many of your Japanese countrymen to deliver on the sport's biggest stage?
YU DARVISH: Yeah, that means that we have obviously a lot of Japanese players here now. To see them do well like they did yesterday, it's a great thing, I think. It's a great thing in a way that it's good for Japanese baseball, too. Those are my thoughts for that.
Q. Do you know Seiya Suzuki at all or well? What's the background of your relationship?
YU DARVISH: I know him very well. We share the same agent. Before he signed with the Cubs, he did come down to San Diego, and we got to spend some time together. Our family, our whole family, is good friends with their family. Yeah, we have a very good relationship.
Q. You have quite a few teammates especially on the pitching side who could be free agents after the season. How disappointing would it be if this particular group cannot find a way to go on a run in this postseason? Guys that could be free agents players like Dylan Cease, Michael King, like Robert Suarez that could be elsewhere next season?
YU DARVISH: Well, that's something we can discuss at a later date. We're in full mode to go out there and win ballgames.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports