Yu Darvish reportedly suffered a setback while throwing a bullpen session. Expected to pitch against the Twins this weekend, his timetable is now unknown as he heading to Texas to get a second opinion.
Chicago Cubs fans might be feeling a sort of short-term buyer’s remorse with Yu Darvish. The start to his contract hasn’t gone according to plan; he made eight unimpressive starts and has been on the DL since. But now, Darvish is taking his recovery into his own hands.
Darvish is heading to Texas to see his doctor from his time with the Texas Rangers. Some Cubs fans might take that at the surface as an affront—that Darvish is rejecting the Cubs’ medical staff in favor of one in Texas. But to me, this just shows the urgency Darvish feels to return to play. The Cubs’ medical staff is giving him news he doesn’t want to hear, so he’s hoping for more benign answers elsewhere.
It seems obvious to say: MLB pitcher wants to pitch as soon as possible. But after some of the comments he made to the Los Angeles Times, it didn’t seem like Darvish particularly wanted to get back on the mound anytime soon.
Darvish’s trip to Texas is a promising sign that he’s taking his recovery seriously and is doing his best to make it back to the Cubs’ rotation. In recent weeks, it looks like that rotation couldn’t have him back soon enough.
Yu Darvish is on his way to Texas for a second opinion on his recently re-aggravated tricep tendinitis. His return is no longer imminent, but if the news from Texas is good, he could make it back to the Chicago Cubs’ rotation sooner than we might think.