Yu Darvish could be facing Tommy John surgery

By Evan Massey | Mar 7, 2015

Mar 5, 2015; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish (11) in the dugout before the start of the first inning during a spring training baseball game at Surprise Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports /

The Texas Rangers are hoping to get back into playoff contenting during the 2015 season, but starting pitcher Yu Darvish could be facing Tommy John surgery.

Yu Darvish is one of the key pieces for the Texas Rangers heading into the 2015 season, but he could very well be facing Tommy John surgery. According to a report from WFAA Sports, Darvish sprained his UCL but will seek a second opinion before considering the surgery.

The Rangers have announced that Yu Darvish's MRI shows a sprained UCL. Tommy John surgery is a possibility, but he's seeking a 2nd opinion.
— WFAA Sports (@wfaasports) March 7, 2015

Texas finished with a 67-95 record last season in 2014, and finished 5th in the AL West. It was a very disappointing season, and there are quite a few concerns about them coming into 2015. That being said, they are still hoping that they can get back into postseason contention and exceed their expectations.

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Unfortunately, Darvish’s injury will hurt their postseason chances in a big way. He has the potential to be a very dominant starter, but hasn’t lived up to the hype over the past couple of years.

During the 2014 season, Darvish ended up compiling a 10-7 record to go along with a 3.06 ERA and 182 strikeouts. Those numbers weren’t amazing, but they added stability to the rotation. If the Rangers want to make a postseason run in 2015, they are going to need their starting rotation to step up in a big way.

There are reasons to be excited about the Rangers, especially at the plate. The Rangers still have some inconsistency concerns, but they have some players that can help carry them if they can remain healthy. Adrian Beltre and Prince Fielder will add some pop, but the Rangers also have Shin-Soo Choo and Mitch Moreland to add some support.

As far as the starting rotation is concerned, Darvish is expected to be their number one starter if he remains healthy. Losing him would set the Rangers back in a fairly big way.

Derek Holland is currently dealing with a shoulder injury, but is expected to be ready for Opening Day if things stay on course. Yovani Gallardo is going to have to step up in a big way as well if Darvish misses much time, and is more than capable of shouldering some of the load. Colby Lewis has the potential to step up as well, but he didn’t show that ability last season.

It will be very intriguing to see what ends up happening with the Rangers, but they need Darvish’s second opinion to come up favorable. Tommy John surgery is the last thing that the Rangers need for Darvish.

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