Rangers ace Yu Darvish received a positive diagnosis on his back after being examined Wednesday by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, per MLB.com. He has no structural damage and can resume throwing Saturday.
Upon his return to camp, the team will devise a schedule that will allow him to return to the rotation. He has been ruled out for opening day.
The sigh of relief can be heard all the way from Arlington. Darvish emerged as one of the premier pitchers in the game in 2013. He compiled a 13-9 record with a 2.83 ERA, but more impressive was his 277 strikeouts in 209 2/3 innings.
It remains to be seen, however, if his back issues persist or prevent him from maximizing his effectiveness.