Rangers' Darvish handed 1st career Opening Day start

Yu Darvish will begin his first full post-Tommy John surgery season in grand style.

The Texas Rangers announced Saturday that Darvish will be their Opening Day starter when they host the Cleveland Indians on April 3. He'll be opposed by Corey Kluber, who was announced as the Indians' Opening Day starter earlier in the day.

For Darvish, a free agent after this season, it will be the first Opening Day start of his four-year major-league career, and a fitting end to a rough couple of years that included missing all of 2015 due to Tommy John surgery. Though the 30-year-old made a successful return to the mound last year, both Tommy John rehab and a separate shoulder issue limited him to just 17 regular-season starts and a 3.41 ERA; he was then roughed up for five runs in his only postseason outing.

But Darvish has looked more like his dominant self this spring, recording 17 strikeouts in 12 2/3 Cactus League innings, and holding hitters to a .216 average. He also appears to be over his health issues, saying earlier this month that he doesn't have any more "strange feelings" in his right arm.

"We feel that he is in a great place," manager Jeff Banister told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. "Physically and mentally, he's just in a tremendous position. He knows what he means to this club. You look at him and see a mentally focused and driven human being to who wants to be the best pitcher on the planet."

In four big-league seasons with the Rangers, Darvish has compiled a 3.29 ERA and 1.183 WHIP while averaging 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. The three-time All-Star led all of baseball with 277 strikeouts in 2013, and was voted runner-up for the AL Cy Young that season.