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Texas Rangers update: Yu Darvish, who is rehabbing from March, 2015, Tommy John surgery, spoke to the media today, providing an update on his situation and return.
Per Evan Grant on Twitter, Darvish is looking to throw his first bullpen next month, and is throwing six times per week currently. Jeff Wilson tweets that Darvish says missing the 2015 season has "rekindled his passion for baseball" -- a sentiment we heard last spring from Prince Fielder, when Prince talked about missing most of the 2014 campaign.
What happens with Yu's return from surgery is going to have a significant impact on the Rangers' playoff hopes. The team has indicated that they are aiming for a mid-May return to the big league rotation, and if he comes back strong, along with Martin Perez (who came back from T-J surgery last year) and Derek Holland (who missed much of the last two seasons with shoulder and knee issues), those three, together with Cole Hamels and Colby Lewis, give the Rangers a rotation that is, top to bottom, as strong as any in the American League.
Rangers baseball just wasn't the same last season without Darvish on the mound. While we wait for his return, here's a gif to whet your appetite, courtesy of Drew Sheppard:
