Darvish remains without a firm timetable to throw a bullpen session at this point. The 38-year-old veteran opened the regular season on the shelf with right elbow inflammation. There’s a chance he’s back before the end of May, but the clock is ticking.

The positive news here is that Darvish has already resumed throwing after being shut down last week with right elbow inflammation. The 38-year-old veteran doesn’t have a clear return timetable yet, but he should progress to throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters in the near future, which would put him on track to return at some point before the end of May, if not sooner.

It’s an encouraging sign that Darvish has resumed throwing after being shut down last week with right elbow inflammation. The 38-year-old veteran doesn’t have a clear return timetable yet, but he should progress to throwing bullpen sessions and facing hitters in the near future, which would put him on track to return at some point before the end of May, if not sooner.

Not a huge surprise, as Darvish was diagnosed with right elbow inflammation Tuesday, and very rarely does a hurler not spend time on the IL with this type of injury. The 38-year-old doesn’t have a timetable, so fantasy managers should be prepared for a long layoff, even if that’s not guaranteed. Randy Vazquez or Kyle Hart could be a replacement for Darvish to open the year.