Texas Rangers: Yu Darvish Ready for Live Batting Practice

By Eric Roseberry |

Feb 21, 2016; Surprise, AZ, USA; (Editors note: Darvish does drill with his non-dominant hand) Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yu Darvish (11) stretches during a workout at Surprise Stadium Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish will throw live batting practice on Wednesday for the first time since last year’s elbow surgery.

T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com is reporting that Texas Rangers‘ starter Yu Darvish is ready to take the next step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. On Wednesday Darvish will face live hitters for the first time in “three 15-pitch segments.” The Rangers are hopeful that Darvish will begin pitching rehab assignments by the end of April, and that he would join the team by late May.

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Darvish spent seven seasons pitching in Japan before he was signed by Texas. In 2012 the Rangers invested $112 million in acquiring the pitcher. They posted a $51.7 million fee for the rights to negotiate with the then-24-year-old. Ultimately, Darvish and the Rangers agreed on a six-year, $60 million deal.

Up to this point the deal has worked out well for the Rangers. Darvish has been an All-Star in every season that he’s pitched. In 2013 he led the majors with 277 strikeouts, and he’s never struck out fewer than 182 hitters in a season. For his career, Darvish has tallied a 3.27 ERA, 11.2 K/9, and 3.6 BB/9.

Shane Ryan wrote a helpful profile of Darvish’s repertoire for Grantland in 2014. He legitimately throws seven pitches, and his slider is one of the best in baseball. While he doesn’t use his cutter as often, it is “devastating.” It’s difficult to describe just how many different looks Darvish can give a hitter, and it’s a major reason why he has become one of the best starters in baseball.

When Darvish’s injury was announced prior to the start of the 2015 season, few knew the kind of impact that it would have. Hardly anyone expected the Rangers to be competitive in the AL West. The assumption was that Darvish could take 2015 to recover, and return in 2016 when Texas was a year closer to playoff contention.

However, the Rangers ended up winning the AL West with an 88-74 record. Down the stretch they traded for Cole Hamels to give them the ace that they lost in Darvish, but there’s no question that Texas’ postseason run would have looked different with a healthy Darvish and Hamels. Few teams can match that type of one-two punch at the top of a rotation.

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This season the Rangers are 4-4 and tied for first in the AL West. If they can hang in contention for the next month or two, then the addition of Darvish could be a huge boost in their quest for a return to the playoffs. Darvish’s comeback could have a major impact on the fate of the division, and it’s a storyline worth paying attention to in baseball’s first few months.

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