Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (triceps) will throw off a mound this weekend. Darvish is being brought along very slowly and has made minimal improvement. The Japanese right-hander hasn't pitched since May 20, so he'll likely need to go on a rehab assignment before returning to the rotation. He's been a huge disappointment for the Cubs and fantasy owners in his first season in Chicago, pitching to a 1-3 record with a 4.95 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over eight starts.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (triceps) threw 16 pitches Tuesday and Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that it went well. Darvish has been sidelined since May 23 and it is still unclear when he will return to the big league roster. Mike Montgomery continues to perform well with Darvish sidelined.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (elbow) played catch Sunday, and the next step for him will be to throw off a mound. Darvish has been a massive disappointment for fantasy owners this year with his 4.95 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in just eight starts. He hasn't made a start since May 20 and will need a handful of rehab starts before he can rejoin the team's rotation. Stay patient.

Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon did not have an update on starting pitcher Yu Darvish (elbow, triceps) on Thursday, and pitching coach Jim Hickey said that Darvish is weeks away from returning. In his first season in Chicago, so far Darvish has been a bust, both in real life and in fantasy. He hasn't pitched since the end of May, so he'll likely need a handful of rehab starts. There remains no timetable for him to resume throwing, though. Fantasy owners must sit tight and continue stashing him.[...]

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (triceps) feels better and is hoping to throw on a mound next weekend. Darvish felt pain after his first rehab start, but it sounds like he's making a move in the right direction. The Cubs don't have a timetable for the right-handers return, but Darvish said he'd like to be back as soon as possible in the second half. Darvish has had a rough debut season with the Cubs so far, but given his track record, owners should remain patient.

The Chicago Cubs starting rotation has been underperforming in the pitching department this year. They are second-worst in walks per nine innings at 4.22, tied for sixth-worst in fielding independent pitching (FIP), 20th in total strikeouts with 396, yet have somehow come out ninth-best in team earned run average with a 3.83 ERA for the entire team. Jon Lester has been himself for the most part, and Mike Montgomery has been a viable option for the back end of the rotation. The other three st[...]

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (triceps) played catch on Monday. Darvish has been sidelined with a triceps injury since May 23 and didn't feel good after throwing in a rehab game a few weeks ago. Darvish remains without a timetable and Mike Montgomery has held down the fort in his abscence. Montgomery has pitched well enough to warrant the attention of NL-only and deep mixed league owners.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish (triceps) is feeling better but still does not have a timetable, according to president Theo Epstein. Darvish has been out since late May and after a setback during rehab he went down to Texas to get a second opinion from the doctor he worked closely with during his time with the Rangers. Darvish's news has been up and down regarding a possible return, but with still no timetable, it seems unlikely that he returns before the All-Star break.

Chicago Cubs starting pitching Yu Darvish (triceps) met with manager Joe Maddon on Wednesday. Darvish hasn't pitched since May 20 and Maddon said "We're trying to derive a plan to get him back out there as soon as possible." Maddon also expressed to Darvish how eager the club is to have him back and said "I'm willing to be very patient." Darvish is expected to start throwing again soon, but he is currently without a timetable to return.

Below you will find our fantasy baseball and DFS rankings for all of today's projected starting pitchers (July 5th). Below that, you will also find our start/sit recommendations for each matchup. The concept is pretty straight forward. We round up our daily pitcher rankings, which will hopefully help you make your start/sit and DFS lineup decisions. Use this column to set your season-long and DFS lineups for today, and get a better sense of which starters we think will have success. Here [...]