Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish may not be off to a great start with his new club, but manager Joe Maddon says the pitcher's struggles have nothing to do with him not competing.
Prior to the Cubs facing off against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, Maddon addressed any concerns the general public may have about how competitive Darvish is.
"This concept that he doesn't compete is absolutely fabricated and false," Maddon told reporters, including ESPN's Jesse Rogers. "This guy is one of the best pitchers in the world, not in the United States, but in the world. How could you arrive at that point if you don't compete? But there are times even good players don't process the moment well enough and things get away from them. That's where I think he's at."
Darvish has struggled in three of his four starts this season, with some shaky moments derailing him during his past two appearances.
After four scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves on Apr. 13, Darvish unraveled after committing a balk in the fifth. He wound up allowing four earned runs and walking four in a loss.
In his next start eight days later, Darvish fell victim to a similar fate when after pitching four scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies, he fell apart during a fifth inning that featured a walk of the opposing pitcher. Again, he suffered the loss and failed to escape the fifth.
Despite his recent struggles, Maddon is confident the Cubs will soon see better results from Darvish, who was signed to a $126-million contract in the offseason.
"The dialogue has gotten a little bit out of control," Maddon said. "This guy is really, really good. When you sit on the side and watch this, it's fabulous."
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