Yu Darvish says he’s ready to rejoin Rangers’ rotation
Next up for Yu Darvish after 87 throwing pitches Sunday is making sure he feels healthy Monday. If he can accomplish that, he will be the Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher Saturday.
Darvish had no real issues with the San Antonio Missions in his fifth and likely final rehab start on the way back from Tommy John surgery, allowing three hits and a walk in six scoreless innings for Double A Frisco at Dr Pepper Ballpark.
He was never seriously challenged on a rehab assignment that started May 1, allowing only two earned runs in 20 innings (0.90 ERA). He struck out 21, after punching out six Sunday, and walked six over three stars with Frisco and two with Triple A Round Rock.
Darvish is as ready to rejoin the Texas Rangers’ rotation as he’ll ever be to face major league hitters. First up will be the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It’s hard to tell right now. I have to pitch against those guys. But I feel like I’m good to go.
Yu Darvish on how he thinks he’ll fare Saturday
“After close to 90 pitches today, I feel good for that,” he said. “It’s hard to tell right now. I have to pitch against those guys. But I feel like I’m good to go.”
Darvish said that a slow pace to the game, as the RoughRiders worked over San Antonio pitchers, contributed to some soreness and early fatigue, but he started to pace himself after a 21-pitch second inning.
He allowed three hits, all singles, and the lone walk came on a 3-2 slider that he thought should have been a strike to the No. 9 hitter.
“Since our offense scored more runs, it took a little bit longer between innings,” Darvish said. “I started going nice and easy after the second inning.”
Darvish also threw more sinkers than four-seam fastballs in an effort to get more early contact and more balls on the ground. Pitching coach Doug Brocail has said since spring training that he wants to see Darvish rely more on his fastball to get quicker outs.
More efficient innings will serve Darvish well as he pitches in the majors for the first time since Aug. 9, 2014. He tore his ulnar collateral ligament in his first spring start in 2015 and underwent Tommy John surgery March 17, 2015.
The Rangers will be monitoring his pitch counts early in his comeback season. If Darvish wants to pitch deeper in games, he will need to get outs in no more than three pitches.
“I was just trying to get the early outs early in the count,” said Darvish, who was clocked as fast at 96 mph but sat at 91-93 mph. “The sinker was working.”
Darvish seemed to downplay expectations for his 2016 debut. Pitchers who return from Tommy John surgery can struggle with their command, which Darvish did at times during his five rehab starts. Even on Sunday, he didn’t have the sharp command of his slow curveball.
But expectations are coming, as he slides into the Rangers’ rotation behind Cole Hamels. The 30 quality starts posted by the rotation is the second-most in the majors, one behind Toronto.
The Pirates’ lineup, which boasts former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen, will be a much tougher test than any batting order he saw over the past 22 days.
Content with his performance, he’ll learn Saturday how good he is and what he needs to work on.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on it, so I want to treat it like another rehab outing up there,” Darvish said. “It [the rehab assignment] was better than I thought it was going to be. I’m pretty happy with where I’m at right now.”
Jeff Wilson: 817-390-7760, @JeffWilson_FWST
This story was originally published May 22, 2016 at 7:53 PM with the headline "Yu Darvish says he’s ready to rejoin Rangers’ rotation."