Yu Darvish returned on Wednesday night.

Maybe it is best to view his outing as the first step in a buildup to when the Padres really need him.

The veteran right-hander’s first start in 98 days was as laborious as it was brief, as the Tigers scored in each of the three innings he began.

But he has time. And he will be needed to help the Padres get into the postseason — and once they get there. If they get there.

They remain headed that direction after coming back to beat the Tigers 6-5 on Wednesday. Fernando Tatis Jr.’s walk-off single with two outs in the 10th inning helped the Padres retain their half-game lead in the race for the National League’s top wild-card spot

After twice failing to capitalize on prime opportunities, they finally broke through on Tatis’ first-ever walk-off hit, which scored automatic runner Jackson Merrill from second base.

Trailing 5-0 after Yuki Matsui allowed a two-run homer in the fourth inning, the Padres’ comeback commenced with Merrill’s three-run homer in the bottom of that inning.

They added two runs in the fifth when Luis Arraez led off with a single, Tatis doubled and both scored on Manny Machado’s single.

They failed to score in the sixth after getting a runner to second base with one out when that runner, David Peralta, tripped after stopping to see if Arraez’s line-drive single would be caught. The foible prevented him from getting to third base on the single and scoring on Tatis’ ensuing fly ball. That inning ended with Machado’s bases-loaded lineout.

In the seventh, they loaded the bases with one out before two ground balls ended the inning.

Darvish was done after throwing 63 pitches in 2⅔ innings in his first start since May 29, a hiatus that began with him going on the injured list and was extended by his going on the restricted list.

Darvish is often better as a game goes on. There was, however, not much runway on Wednesday. This start had a pitch limit ascribed at the start. And he was pushing up against it quickly.

Darvish zoomed from restricted to return in 12 days, facing teammates for two simulated innings at Petco Park two days later and throwing 66 pitches in four innings against minor leaguers in Arizona a week later. That was Friday, and the reports of how Darvish’s pitches were moving coupled with him declaring himself ready prompted the Padres to decide Wednesday was the time.

It would be easy to assess that Darvish was rusty Wednesday. He fell behind seven of the 14 batters he faced and walked two of them while striking out four.

Darvish usually has more time to find his rhythm, which he often does.

He did not have that opportunity Wednesday after allowing a two-out home run to Matt Vierling on an 0-2 fastball en route to throwing 26 pitches in the first inning, having a leadoff walk come around to score and throwing 19 more in the second inning and surrendering another run on a walk, stolen base and single before being replaced by Matsui in the third.

It was a bit unrealistic to expect he would hit the ground in a sprint — pitching as well as ever, as Joe Musgrove has in posting a 1.30 ERA over his five starts since coming off the IL.

Musgrove, who was down with an elbow issue, went 77 days between starts and had a more traditional route back, rehabbing with the team and gradually building up.

Darvish left his May 29 start after three innings and was placed on the IL the next day with elbow inflammation.

He was days away from a return when he was placed on the restricted list, having determined he needed an indefinite period of time to deal with a family matter and that it would not be right to collect a paycheck while he did so.

During his time on the restricted list, he kept in touch with Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and kept his arm in shape. But he could not use team facilities and the Padres were largely unaware of his activity.

Darvish, whose ERA swelled to 3.51, will presumably pitch again Tuesday in Seattle and have four regular season starts after that.

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