MLB Notes: Yu Darvish set to return to Rangers rotation Saturday at Cubs
Yu Darvish is set to make his return to the Texas Rangers’ rotation on Saturday.
The A.L. West leaders said Darvish threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled list to start the second game of the team’s weekend series at the Chicago Cubs.
Darvish has been on the disabled list since June 9 with shoulder discomfort.
The right-hander from Japan has made only three starts this season for the Rangers after missing all of the 2015 season because of Tommy John surgery.
After five rehab starts in May, Darvish made his season debut for Texas on May 28. He went 2-0 with a 2.87 ERA in three starts, but left his start against Houston on June 8 after only five innings. Darvish said after the game that tightness in his neck caused tightness in his shoulder.
Darvish cut short a bullpen session because of the same symptoms a few days later, and the Rangers skipped his next scheduled start before he was put on the 15-day DL. An MRI on his shoulder and neck showed no structural issues, and he has since made two more rehab starts for Double-A Frisco.
Record-low ratings
The baseball All-Star Game has drawn a record-low television rating for the second straight year.
The American League’s 4-2 victory over the N.L. in San Diego on Tuesday night got a 5.4 rating on Fox. The previous low was 6.6 last year for the game in Cincinnati.
Fox said Wednesday that the game drew a 10 share and 8.7 million viewers.
Ratings represent the percentage of homes with televisions tuned to a program, the share is the percentage of households watching among TVs in use at the time.
Baseball remains the most-watched all-star game of the four major North American pro sports. Fox said Tuesday night’s game was its highest-rated telecast of the summer season.
Gose suspended
The Detroit Tigers suspended outfielder Anthony Gose for three days after he failed to show up for a Toledo Mud Hens game on Sunday, a day after he had an argument with Mud Hens manager Lloyd McClendon.
Gose did not play in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader and then didn’t show up Sunday.
After reinstating him Wednesday, the Tigers sent Gose to Double-A Erie.
“After collectively evaluating the situation in Toledo, we spoke with Anthony and emphasized our organization’s expectations of him,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said in a released statement. “Most importantly, Anthony’s transfer to Erie is a move to give him a fresh start to his overall performance as he works his way back to Detroit.”
The Tigers are hoping a change of scenery can help ignite Gose, 25, who has struggled since being demoted from the Tigers to Toledo in May. He was hitting .179 with nine strikeouts and four runs over his last 10 games with the Mud Hens. In 50 Triple-A games, he hit .185 with 75 strikeouts.