During his spring training debut, Texas Rangers three-time All-Star pitcher Yu Darvish felt some tightness in his triceps. Both he and the team hoped it wasn’t anything to be concerned about. That was up until late Friday, when an MRI exam revealed that their starting ace had partially torn ligaments in his right elbow. An injury that could sideline him the entire 2015 season if Tommy John surgery is needed.
For the moment, Darvish and the team are exploring other treatment options, that would either see him pitching through the injury, then resting it for six weeks then spending the next couple of months rebuilding his stamina, or of course the other option is for him to do the surgery.
This isn’t the second time the right-handed pitcher had to miss some time. Last year, during the final seven weeks of the season he suffered from inflammation in the same elbow and underwent a MRI exam that came back clean and nothing come of it again. Until Thursday’s game against Kansas City, he felt tightness during a warmup bullpen session, but didn’t inform anyone before taking the mound to pitch one inning. Only then did he inform the staff of his pain.
With Darvish likely out for the season, the Rangers rotation that features Ross Detwiler, Nick Tepesch, Chi-Chi Gonzalez and Anthony Ranaudo has to step up and fill the hard tossing right-hander’s shoes.
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