Looking forward to seeing Yu Darvish face Albert Pujols? Well, you're going to have to wait until the regular season for that match-up. Darvish was scheduled to pitch against the Angels this weekend, but Texas' staff has decided to have Darvish pitch in a minor league game instead of facing their rivals.
"We didn't want him to travel to Tempe," Rangers manager Ron Washington said.
Washington can dress it up any way he likes to, but the Rangers are clearly (and wisely) preventing the Los Angeles hitters from getting a look at Darvish in the spring. It's typically tougher on hitters facing a pitcher for the first time, since they have to not only adjust to the pitcher's release point and stuff, but they have to adjust to the pitcher's delivery as well.
It might be a bit disappointing to Rangers fans who have enjoyed watching Darvish pitch this spring, but it's certainly the right call, and hopefully it will pay off, even ever so slightly, when Darvish faces the Angels for the first time later this year.