It has now been more than 18 months since Rangers ace Yu Darvish last appeared in a major league ballgame. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, and is still in the process of working his way back.
As part of that process, Darvish threw live batting practice to a pair of Rangers minor leaguers Wednesday. And according to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News, Darvish offered them $1,000 if they could hit a home run off him. Neither hitter collected though. "I didn't give them a strike," Darvish said.
More importantly, Darvish said he was not particularly satisfied with the throwing session because the cold temperatures made it difficult to get loose. He did come through the session healthy. Here's from from Fraley:
Darvish on Wednesday threw batting practice to minor-league hitters Joe Jackson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa at Globe Life Park. After warming up with 45 pitches in the bullpen, Darvish threw two segments of 15 pitches each to the hitters.
...
"I cant' say I'm satisfied 100 percent at this point,'' Darvish said. "I'm glad I got to finish the first BP and get it over with. I had fun throwing to the hitters.''
Wednesday's session was the first time Darvish faced hitters as part of his Tommy John surgery rehab. The usual Tommy John rehab timetable is 12 months, though these days teams are giving players closer to 14-16 months because they don't want to risk a second procedure.
There is no firm timetable for Darvish's return. The face he just faced hitters for the first time Wednesday means he is still several weeks away. He needs to throw a few more live batting practice and simulated game sessions before beginning an official minor league rehab assignment. Darvish may not return until June.
Darvish, 29, is 39-25 with a 3.27 ERA (128 ERA+) and 680 strikeouts in 545 1/3 innings with the Rangers. He came over to MLB in 2012 and is signed through the 2017 season.
