Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish feels great after 17-pitch session

Yu Darvish said he felt great after a 17-pitch session off a half-mound on Monday morning. The right-hander threw 15 fastballs and two changeups, which pitching coach Doug Brocail gave permission to throw. It was Darvish’s first time pitching off any kind of mound this spring. The half-mound is half the height and half the slope of a normal mound. It offers less stress on a pitcher and is used for those coming off injuries. Darvish had Tommy John surgery a year ago. So it was an important moment for Darvish, who was pleased with the results.

“No discomfort or anything like that,” he said through an interpreter. “I wanted to see how my elbow was going to react, how much pressure it was going to take. That’s why it’s an important step for me.”

Brocail, who was seeing Darvish throw off a mound (albeit a half-mound) for the first time as a Rangers’ coach, was impressed.

“Yu Darvish coming back after Tommy John looks better than Doug Brocail ever did healthy,” Brocail joked. “He repeats his delivery so well. His arm slot is in the same spot every time. He gets through every single pitch. We know he’s healthy. He’s in a good spot. There’s no hurry here. He’s going to do great things in a Texas Rangers’ uniform. We don’t need to hurry that process.”

Darvish is expected back in mid-May to early June.

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish feels great after 17-pitch session."