Injury Update: Yu Darvish Throws 35-pitch Bullpen, Felt ‘Nothing’ in Elbow
A-Rod had better cover his ears, because we have an injury update on Yu Darvish. The injured righty threw a bullpen session today in Pittsburgh and the reports afterward are some of the most positive we have seen throughout this whole process.
Darvish with a 35 pitch bullpen session. He says he’s back on track
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 31, 2018
Step in the right direction: Yu Darvish, through a translator, says today was the first time in two months that he felt "nothing" in his right elbow from the first warm-up throw to the last pitch in his bullpen session.
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) July 31, 2018
Yu Darvish said it's the best he's felt in two months after throwing 35 pitches in the bullpen on Tuesday. If he feels good moving forward he'll throw a longer session in a few days then move on to simulated games and/or a rehab stint. It's the first… https://t.co/OHuizpPjGW
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 31, 2018
You may recall that Darvish felt some pain early in his last bullpen attempt, after which he made a mechanical adjustment to alleviate that pain. With a pain-free bullpen session today, things appear to be headed in the right direction. While we still do not have an exact timetable on when Darvish may be able to rejoin the Cubs pitching staff, these steps are a good place to start.
A brief note on the situation with A-Rod, Darvish responded to the comments by staying on the high road, as he did during the World Series responding to the racist gesture of the Astros’ Yuli Gurriel.
Yu Darvish, through his translator, responds to A-Rod's criticism on Sunday Night Baseball: "Honestly, it doesn't really matter what he thinks of me because I still have a lot of respect for A-Rod."
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) July 31, 2018