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Cubs ace(ish) starter Yu Darvish is out for the rest of the season according to multiple sources.
BREAKING NEWS: Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish is OUT for the rest of the year. MRI shows a stress reaction on right elbow and triceps strain. (Via @MDGonzales)
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 21, 2018
Darvish was shelved earlier in the season with elbow soreness and was estimated to return by the end of July. But after a series of false starts, Darvish has been sidelined for the remainder of the 2018 season.
Per Theo, Darvish needs 6 weeks. He’s done for the year.
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) August 21, 2018
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It all started back in May when the Cubs put Darvish on the DL after a rough introduction to Chicago. The premier pitcher on the 2017 free-agent market was a splash signing for the Cubs in the offseason, but the sheen of a six-year deal wore off quickly. He entered the DL with an unceremonious 1-3 record and 4.95 earned run average.
Darvish hasn’t pitched an inning of Major League Baseball since. After several balks in his rehab progression, the Cubs finally shut him down after an early exit from a South Bend rehab start last week.
This was exactly the scenario Cubs’ brass had in mind when they traded for Cole Hamels at the end of July. Despite owning one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, Theo Epstein and co. new there was a possibility the Cubs would need help in the rotation if Darvish couldn’t return.
Moreover, claiming Daniel Murphy on Tuesday off the waiver-wire from the Washington Nationals sends another signal to Cubs fans as the lineup becomes extremely crowded if Kris Bryant returns. And if we read between the lines correctly, there may be another message to decode in the next few days as well. Bryant’s injury may be more severe than the club has let on.
All things considered, the Cubs are in great shape. They made the right moves to gather insurance policies in case the injuries they knew were bad became worse. If, in fact Bryan is out for the season, Murphy adds flexibility to shuffle Javy Baez around the infield and platoon David Bote‘s wave of success.
As for Darvish? Don’t fret over it. It’s better that he rests/recovers/solves the arm issue in year-one of his six-year deal and is healthy for the remaining years of his contract.
