Yu Darvish was shut down prematurely in 2014 due to inflammation in his pitching elbow, but he’s had a fairly normal offseason and should be 100 percent heading into the opening of the 2015 campaign.
Darvish was cleared to begin a throwing program in December and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth-Star Telegram reports that the right-hander has now progressed to sessions of long-toss in Arlington, Texas. There hasn’t even been a hint of a setback.
Darvish was limited to 144 1/3 innings last year but registered a stellar 3.06 ERA and 11.3 K/9. The 28-year-old boasts a 3.27 ERA (127 ERA+) and 11.2 K/9 in 545 1/3 career major league frames.
He should be the Rangers’ Opening Day starter on April 6 against the Athletics.