Yu Darvish, the Texas Rangers' co-ace starting pitcher, is expected to be activated from the 15-Day disabled list on Saturday, July 16. The Rangers also plan on starting him that afternoon, as they take on Jason Hammel (scheduled to start Saturday) and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
In a battle between the two teams that many consider to be the best in their respective leagues, the Rangers may use this as the an upperhand since Cubs' ace - former TCU stud - Jake Arrieta is not slated to pitch this weekend.
Yu Darvish's return is a crucial component for not only this series, but also to allow the club to get back on track, after a tough end to June and even rougher start to July.
Even with the All-Star break and Yu Darvish coming back, the pitching staff will not be at full strength until Colby Lewis and Derek Holland return from their injuries. Either way, this can be seen as a bright spot in what has been a tough few weeks for Jeff Banister's crew. They are surely hoping for speedy recoveries for the other members of the roster as well.
