Darvish pulled as precaution after complaining of tight back to Kershaw

If anyone knows how problematic back issues can be, it's Clayton Kershaw.

After Los Angeles Dodgers starter Yu Darvish was mysteriously pulled from his home debut Wednesday to begin the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox, and the right-hander later revealed the removal was due to back tightness, according to Jorge L. Ortiz of USA TODAY Sports.

Darvish was fully intending to continue pitching until Kershaw - currently rehabbing from his own back strain - reminded him the Dodgers need the Japanese pitcher to be healthy for the postseason.

“I was going to go out, and in between innings I talked to Kershaw and he asked me how does your body feel and I told him I feel something on my back," Darvish said through an interpreter, according to Ortiz. "And he said, 'We need you really bad in six weeks. That's when we need you the most.'

"That's what kind of got me and I changed my mind."

Darvish's back may have affected him from the beginning of his first home start at Dodger Stadium. After allowing a leadoff home run to Leury Garcia, Darvish uncharacteristically coughed up another two homers - to Nicky Delmonico and Jose Abreu - in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively.

Those three solo shots were the only runs Darvish allowed, however, and skipper Dave Roberts doesn't anticipate the 31-year-old having to miss any time due to the ailment.

"Just missed with the fastball. That's about it," Roberts said. "The stuff's good. I don't think the back's an issue. He'll make his next start.

"It's one of those things, when you do make mistakes - the first pitch of the game was a homer. I don't think there's too much to read into this start."