The Texas Rangers currently have the worst record in baseball, sitting at a 50-79 record. They are well on their way to the top overall pick in next year’s amateur draft and have had a season that they would like to immediately forget.
More from MLB
- Braves get dose of bad news on Max Fried as ace nears return
- Shohei Ohtani trade rumors live tracker: Every update so far
- MLB Rumors: Yankees mistake, Cardinals trade package, Cubs choice
- Inside the Clubhouse: What I’m hearing ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline
- After frantic trade day, Kiké Hernandez grateful for second chance with Dodgers
Through all of those rough spots and their ridiculous rash of injuries, the Rangers could at least hang their hat on the fact that they had one of Major League Baseball’s true aces in Yu Darvish. Now they do not even have that going for them, and it sounds like Darvish might be done for the season.
T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com writes the following:
"In other news, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says that the chances of pitcher Yu Darvish returning to the rotation this season are becoming less likely.Time is running out, and the calendar is not working in the Rangers’ favor to get Darvish back on the mound this season, although it’s possible he may pitch again in 2014."
The nature of Darvish’s injury will surely be a factor in this decision. The 28-year-old stud was placed on the disabled list approximately one week ago with right elbow inflammation. That is the kind of the injury you never want to mess with if it is your staff ace, and that is especially the case with so many Tommy John operations this season.
Through 22 starts this season, Darvish is 10-7 with a 3.06 ERA and 182 strikeouts. The Rangers still have time to make this decision and consider sending Darvish back out there this season, but here’s betting that the current state of the franchise motivates them to err on the side of caution.