Yu Darvish is determined to prove the doubters wrong this season.
Though Cubs pitchers and catchers aren’t scheduled to report to spring training until Tuesday, Darvish is already in Arizona preparing for the upcoming season. He has been throwing from a mound for the last two weeks and hasn’t had any apparent issues.
Darvish doesn’t need to be reminded of how downright disappointing last season was for him. After signing a $126 million contract right before camp opened, he made only eight starts — going 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA — before an elbow injury ended his season.
But Darvish said this season will be different.
“Now I feel like my place is here,” he said. “I feel more comfortable, and I have more confidence than last year.”
Team president Theo Epstein has noticed that Darvish is in a better mindset.
“From interacting with him, my sense is he’s in a much better position,” he said. “And then more importantly the guys that have gone down and visited with him and worked with him and seen him throw and had in-depth conversations with him – Tommy Hottovy and the other guys that have gone down to see him – have been raving about where he’s at.”
While rehabbing from surgery this winter, Darvish, who won’t have limitations at the start of camp, has put on 15 pounds of muscle and increased his flexibility and range of motion in his pitching arm, Epstein said.
“His arm feels terrific. His throwing program’s going great,” Epstein said. “He’s feeling really good about himself and he’s eager to do everything in his power, as he says, to help us win.”
The Cubs need Darvish to have a bounce-back season like a fish needs water. If Darvish is healthy, left-hander Mike Montgomery would likely get bumped back to the bullpen, which would give manager Joe Maddon more flexibility with his bullpen options.
Maddon, who has heard “nothing but good things” in regards to Darvish’s progress this offseason, is eager to evaluate the right-hander when camp starts next week.
“We’ll see once he gets to camp and get him out there on a consistent basis where he is physically, specifically,” he said.
Darvish on Thursday paid a visit to his former Japanese team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, who spend part of their spring training at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona. He seemed in a good mood and was smiling while talking to some of his former teammates.
Click to view slideshow.It was a nice break from his workouts. But next week, it’s go time.
“If I’m healthy the whole year, I think I can help the team,” Darvish said.
And Maddon echoed Darvish’s belief.
“This guy is a difference maker,” he said. “And if we can get him out there with any regularity, heads up.”
