Yu Darvish’s Tommy John surgery is well and truly in the rear-view mirror, because he’s throwing his split-finger fastball again.
The Texas Rangers ace used the pitch sparingly before his 2015 surgery, and then mostly abandoned it after his return in 2016 under pressure from pitching coach Doug Brocail on account of the stress it puts on the elbow.
Now, though, a healthy Darvish is working on the pitch again, with the blessing of his coach.
“I was kind of astonished when he threw it,” Brocail said, via Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. “I waited a long time after my Tommy John surgery before I threw it again, but I don’t have his delivery. He throws it correctly and uses a bit of his wrist so not all of the pressure is on his elbow in that pulling-down motion. It’s a little looser. And this guy, if there is any chance of hurting himself, he’s not going to throw it. I’m comfortable with it.”
Darvish may well be headed for free agency. A good, healthy season in which he demonstrates he can use his full repertoire could put him in line for a serious payday.
