Rangers’ Darvish brings the heat to his first batters on cool day

Right-hander Yu Darvish threw to hitters for the first time Wednesday at Globe Life Park.

Darvish is still at least a month away before returning to the Rangers’ rotation. He’ll throw two more live bullpen sessions followed by a string of rehab starts in the minors. Depending on how he progresses, Darvish could make four to six rehab starts. That would put him back with the Rangers the last week of May or first week of June. Darvish is expected to begin his rehab assignment on April 27 or 28.

Slightly cool temperatures hindered his outing Wednesday, Darvish said.

“My body was not fully loose. I can’t say I’m satisfied 100 percent right now,” Darvish said of his two 15-pitch innings. “I’m glad I got to finish the first live BP, to get it over with.”

Darvish, who spoke with the media for the first time since spring training, said his velocity wasn’t measured Wednesday. Ever the perfectionist, he sees plenty left to improve.

“Overall, I feel like I can increase me arm speed and [I’m still] finding my off-speed pitches. I don’t feel like I’m quite there yet,” he said.

Still, he felt strong enough to tell Double A hitters Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Joe Jackson that he’d give them $1,000 if either hit a home run against him.

They didn’t.

Rotation options

Manager Jeff Banister is still mulling his rotation options with the club’s first day off on Monday. Complicating the decision is another off day 10 days later on April 28. Much of the decision depends on how Cole Hamels is feeling.

Hamels went  5 1/3 innings Thursday and would be scheduled to pitch Tuesday against the Astros. Hamels, along with Friday’s starter Martin Perez, prefers to stay on schedule and pitch every fifth day.

“That’s how I like to pitch, every fifth day. Into the season, the extra day might be good for your body,” Perez acknowledged. “Every fifth day is fine for me.”

Hamels has made it known to Banister that he’d prefer to stay on schedule, at least early in the season before taking an extra day of rest.

“We looked at the possibly of staying in turn with the front four, honoring the off day and staying in turn with all of them,” Banister said. “We could also plug [A.J.] Griffin inside those four, too.”

That would mean letting Hamels start Tuesday but pushing Perez, Colby Lewis and Derek Holland back a day.

With the April 28 off day, Banister noted, they could hold off and add the day off then.

“We’re still looking at what would be the best option,” he said.

Gimenez update

Catcher Chris Gimenez is feeling much better but is still at least two weeks from returning from a staph infection in his left ankle.

He spent four days in a Surprise, Ariz., hospital just as the team was headed back to Arlington. He had one minor surgery and another minor procedure last week. He’ll most likely go on a rehab assignment in the minors before being available to the Rangers.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 7:30 PM with the headline "Rangers’ Darvish brings the heat to his first batters on cool day."