Darvish closer to rejoining Cubs after latest sim game

Injured right-hander Yu Darvish is inching closer to a reunion with the Chicago Cubs.

Darvish will be re-evaluated after throwing about 50 pitches in a simulated game Tuesday. If he feels well Wednesday, he's expected to start a rehab assignment shortly after, the Chicago Tribune's Mark Gonzalez reports.

Theo Epstein, the Cubs' president of baseball operations, liked what he saw.

"It was good," Epstein told Jess Rogers of ESPN. "He was competing out there and spinning the ball really well. Maybe his best spin of the year. Seems like he's about ready for the next step, which would be rehab games."

Darvish hasn't played since May due to elbow inflammation, and he suffered one setback already during his recovery. Since then, the Cubs have taken things slow to make sure he's at his best.

"It's been a long road back," Epstein said. "There is no point in rushing it. We probably have one chance, given where we are in the calendar, to get this right. That's the priority."

Before the injury, Darvish went 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA across his first eight starts of a six-year, $126-million contract.