Yu Darvish inching closer to return but Cubs should remain patient with high-priced ace
Yu Darvish, the Chicago Cubs’ prized offseason acquisition, is reportedly getting closer to making his return to the mound. But the team should err on the side of caution and be patient.
Things have not worked out as planned for starting pitcher Yu Darvish and the Chicago Cubs. He was arguably the best starter on the free agent market this offseason and the Cubs gave him a fairly lucrative contract to take Jake Arrieta’s place in the rotation.
But nagging injuries and seemingly never-ending issues getting through the fifth inning have plagued Darvish this season. A few weeks ago it was reported he had right triceps inflammation, but no structural damage. The right-hander was placed on the DL with no timetable for a return.
According to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, Darvish will get to test his arm in a simulated game on Tuesday. He last pitched on March 20th in Cincinnati.
While Chicago has not ruled out the possibility of Darvish returning before the all-star break, it might be in their best interest to play it safe and wait it out. Under different circumstances, perhaps he’d be on the fast-track back to the bump. But the Cubs are rolling right now. This is a team that was built to withstand temporary hiccups like this one.
Mike Montgomery has done a beautiful job stepping into the rotation to make starts in Darvish’s absence. The 28-year-old left-hander has pitched to the tune of a 1.14 ERA in four starts for the Cubs. He hasn’t just been an adequate fill-in, he’s been the best starter on the team over the last few weeks.
The Cubs may even feel obligated to keep Montgomery in the rotation once Darvish comes off the DL, whether it’s with a six-man rotation or bumping someone out. That “someone,” though, would not be Yu Darvish, but likely Tyler Chatwood, who’s had an absolute rollercoaster of a season.
Next: The Yankees are not going to trade Gleyber Torres
In any case, the Cubs should not feel any pressure to speed up Darvish’s rehabilitation process. He’ll be a hugely important part of Chicago’s efforts to win an NL Central race that looks like it could have a photo-finish. As much as they’d like to have him pitching right now, they’d be better off making sure he’s fully healthy first.