Yu Darvish was the big free agent signing of the winter for the Chicago Cubs, and his arm was going to replace Jake Arrieta's in this season and beyond as the Cubs continue to chase World Series titles.
But Darvish's tenure with the Cubs has gotten off to a rocky start, with a 1-3 record, a 4.95 ERA and a couple of stints on the DL. His long-time catcher Chris Giminez even reportedly said Darvish felt Cubs hate him, though Darvish later denied saying it.
There has been plenty of scrutiny from pundits and fans alike, but Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein defended Darvish on Monday, while also calling the notion that Cubs fans hate Darvish "just flat wrong."
“He’s human, and I think he’s a little more open than most,” Epstein said in an interview on 670 The Score. “I also think there’s a little bit of a language issue where things don’t always come across in the way they’re translated. But he’s certainly human, and I’m not going to penalize him for that.”
Epstein also suggested Darvish's openness about his relationship with fans could be a part of the solution to Darvish's woes.
"If that's going to continue to help him face challenges and, in the case of the World Series, overcome them next time, then good for him," Estpein said. "I think people should be encouraged to open up. There's more than one way to compete, and there's more than one way to handle emotions."
There might also be some misconception about what Darvish is dwelling on exactly.
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"When you talk to him about the World Series, he'll say, 'Yeah, that was obviously tough, really tough, I feel like I let everybody down, but I've been worse on the field, I've been through worse off the field, and I've come through.' That's the way I'm looking at this," Epstein said.
"It's not it dominates his day or his mindset. He's just frustrated because he hasn't been able to show his teammates or fans what he can do -- dominating every fifth. But I think that lies ahead. And then there will be a lot less talk about fragility once he's out there performing. That's usually the way it works."
The Cubs eclipsed the midway point of the season last on Saturday, so while there is time for Darvish to heal, return to form and hit his stride hopefully entering a playoff run, the clock is ticking.
At the moment, there isn't a clear timetable for his return. Darvish was diagnosed with a right elbow impingement on Friday, received a cortisone shot and wouldn't throw for up to five days.