Chicago Cubs’ All-Star pitcher Yu Darvish recently reported to camp, clearing doubts that he might sit out this season. In a recent video call with reporters, Darvish admitted that the decision to play wasn’t an easy one, but that his teammates made it easier for him.
“It was a tough decision, but everyone’s doing it,” Darvish told reporters. “All the teammates have families. Everybody has concerns, but everybody decided to play. So, it makes it a little bit easier for me to make the decision to play.”
Darvish became cautious about the coronavirus threat even before MLB suspended its activities back in March. After noticing he’s coughing a bit, the 33-year-old Japanese decided to stay away from his teammates until he gets cleared.
He kept the same mindset now and was ready to return home if his Cubs’ teammates weren’t serious about the threat.
“I came here to make sure everybody was doing the right thing. And then I had it in my mind that, if they’re not, I was ready to go homeת” he added.
Having Yu Darvish on the roster for 2020 is a big thing for Cubs, as he is expected to be their Opening Day pitcher. Since coming to Chicago in 2018, Darvish had 39 starts with 7-11 record, .389 ERA, and 278 strikeouts.
Darvish, who also played with Texas Rangers and LA Dodgers, has four All-Star career appearances while leading the American League in strikeouts in 2013.
