Rangers Get Darvish, Lose Hamilton
The Texas Rangers are due to receive a major boost to their rotation this week after Yu Darvish made his fifth rehab start and declared that he’s ready to return to the big league roster. After going six innings without allowing a run while throwing 87 pitches, Darvish looks to be back in peak form.
Darvish is due to rejoin the Rangers rotation on Saturday, per Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram. Per Wilson, Darvish sounded enthusiastic about the his potential return.
"“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.”"
In 20 innings throughout his rehab assignment, Darvish only allowed two earned runs while striking out 20 batters.
While the news of Darvish’s return is something to look forward to, the Rangers were dealt a major blow in their outfield as it was announced that Shin Soo Choo was placed on the DL again and Josh Hamilton is out for the year.
Choo, who was just activated from the DL, strained his right hamstring while running the bases against the Houston Astros, per Gerry Fraley of Dallas Morning News. With the injury, rookie sensation Nomar Mazara will be able to return to right field. The 21-year-old is hitting .304/.351/.457 with six homers while playing solid defense in the outfield.
While Choo will return in due time, Hamilton’s future remains much less clear. The 35-year-old will require season ending knee surgery to repair his troublesome left knee, as reported by Fraley.
Hamilton only appeared in one minor league appearance this season, and his future with the team is now up in the air. Hamilton is under contract for one more season, but at 35, it remains unclear how well he’ll be able to recover from the surgery.
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