Hurls 66 pitches vs. minor-leaguers Darvish (personal/elbow) threw 66 pitches over four innings in a controlled game against Cincinnati minor-leaguers Friday, Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press reports. Impact Darvish continues to ramp up as he looks to return from an absence of over three months from the big-league squad, initially due to an elbow injury and subsequently because of a personal matter. The veteran right-hander threw on his own for a period while he was away from the team, and he's since tossed a bullpen and a sim game in addition to Friday's outing against minor-leaguers, so he's not as far off as a starting pitcher might typically be after such a long absence. Per Wilson, Darvish felt well following Friday's 66-pitch controlled game, and his next steps are yet to be determined.
AUGUST 31 • ROTOWIRE