ARLINGTON, Texas — After declaring in spring training he was the “happiest” he had been in seven years, Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish lasted a career-worst 2⅔ innings in his first start of the season on Saturday — against the team he spent most of those seven years with, the Texas Rangers.
The 31-year-old Darvish was pitching in a big league game for the first time since May, when he went down with an elbow injury. He walked a career-high seven batters while throwing 75 pitches, before Cubs manager Joe Maddon pulled him, one batter after he gave up a two-run homer to Asdrubal Cabrera.
The first 10 Rangers to face Darvish didn’t put the ball in play, as six walked and four struck out. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that’s the most hitters not to put the ball in play to start a game in franchise history.
Darvish was staked to a 3-0 lead before using 35 pitches to get through the bottom of the first.
The righty signed a six-year, $126 million deal with the Cubs before the 2018 season, in which he pitched in just eight games before his injury.