Darvish tested his finger in a bullpen session and confirmed that he is good to go for Saturday's start against the Rangers, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

He was always expected to make this start, but needed to test his finger/blister one final time Thursday before it was official. This will be a homecoming for Darvish, who spent the first five and a half years of his career as a member of the Rangers.

Darvish (finger) is scheduled to start the second game of the season, Saturday against the Rangers, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Darvish is scheduled to throw a bullpen in the coming days; if everything goes off without a hitch, he'll slot into the Cubs' rotation behind Opening Day starter Jon Lester.

Darvish (finger) expects to be ready for the start of the season, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Darvish has been battling a blister, but he got through a minor-league outing with a bandage on Sunday. He'll throw a bullpen in the next few days once the bandage comes off. Assuming that goes well, he'll start Saturday or Sunday against the Rangers.

Darvish (finger) completed a bullpen session Friday and is scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game Sunday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Darvish was originally expected to start Sunday's Cactus League game against the Padres, but he will instead throw in the minor-league game sporting a band-aid. Sunday's outing is still likely to be the determining factor in whether the 32-year-old will have his first start of the season pushed back.

Darvish (finger) played catch without any issues Wednesday, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

This is encouraging news. Darvish exited his spring start Tuesday due to a blister on his right ring finger, but the issue doesn't appear to be anything that will affect his status for the start of the season. The right-hander is expected to throw a bullpen session Friday, and if everything goes as planned, he could be cleared to rejoin the rotation thereafter.

Darvish isn't worried about the blister that forced him to prematurely exit Tuesday's game against the Mariners, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Darvish said he didn't feel the blister until his final pitch. The right-hander said the issue will be treated with laser and cream, and he doesn't believe it will force him to miss a start. If all goes as planned, Darvish is hoping to play catch Wednesday before throwing a bullpen session Thursday. While it doesn't sound like the issue will affect his status for the start of the season, it will still be a situation to monitor with Opening Day rapidly approaching.

Darvish was removed from Tuesday's game against the Royals due to a blister on his right ring finger, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

The severity of the issue remains unknown at the moment, though it's worth noting that Darvish looked to be in good spirits as he exited the field. With Opening Day less than two weeks away, this will be a situation to monitor.

Darvish left his start Tuesday against the Royals after just 3.2 innings with a team trainer, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The nature of the injury is unclear, but the trainers and manager Joe Maddon were looking at Darvish's fingers, suggesting a potential blister. The good news is Darvish didn't look too concerned as he left the field, but a clearer picture should emerge soon.

Darvish pitched four innings of one-run ball in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Rangers. He allowed three hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts.

EDGE Analysis

Darvish looked sharp against his former team and he now has his spring ERA down to a tidy 2.45 through three appearances. The righty's 2018 season was over almost as soon as it started due to a triceps injury, and he finished with a disappointing 4.95 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, but Darvish looks like a great rebound candidate in 2019 if he can stay healthy.

Darvish's next spring appearance will come during a simulated game Friday, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Cubs' initial plan called for Darvish to make his third Cactus League start on the road Friday against the Mariners, but he'll instead stay back at camp and likely face off against some minor-league hitters. After a rocky spring debut Feb. 26 against the Diamondbacks, Darvish was sharp in his most recent outing Sunday versus the White Sox, tossing two scoreless frames while sporting a fastball that hit 97 miles per hour, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune.