Cubs' Darvish throws shortest start of career in return to Texas

Making his first start since May 20, 2018, Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish got knocked around against his former team in his first return to Arlington since leaving as a free agent.

The 32-year-old allowed three runs on two hits and seven walks over 2 2/3 innings against the Texas Rangers on Saturday night before turning it over to the Cubs' bullpen. Steve Cishek came on to finish the frame before left-handed starter Jose Quintana took over in the fourth.

Darvish missed almost all of the 2018 season, suffering an elbow injury shortly after agreeing to a six-year, $126-million contract with the Cubs in the offseason. Before joining the Cubs, he'd spent the majority of his MLB career with the Rangers, posting a 3.42 ERA and 3.30 FIP over 139 games over his first five seasons and finishing as the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2013.

Prior to Saturday's outing, Darvish had only made three career starts of four innings or fewer and had never walked more than six batters in a game.

Darvish is the first starter to walk at least seven while striking out four or more in fewer than three innings since fellow Cubs pitcher Pat Malone in 1930, according to Baseball-Reference's Play Index.