SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Yu Darvish's second day at the Surprise Recreation Campus was certainly well-documented. Between 50 to 60 media members were watching Darvish throw off flat ground and run sprints on the half-football field Wednesday morning.
Darvish threw right-handed and left-handed, something he's done for a long time to help his balance. He ran some sprints and jogged around the field as part of his conditioning program. But after throwing his first bullpen session Tuesday, he didn't throw off a mound Wednesday.
Darvish will be back up on the hill Thursday with the rest of the Rangers' pitchers. Most of the pitchers in camp will go through a five-minute bullpen session and then throw to live hitters for five minutes. The only healthy pitchers who aren't scheduled to take part are Scott Feldman and Colby Lewis, who are on a slightly different program because they are listed to pitch in the first spring game. So they threw Wednesday and will throw again Friday.
Darvish's parents were walking around the back fields Wednesday as well, watching their son work out. They are eager to see him on the mound Thursday just like everyone else.
Just before Darvish began his conditioning drills, Don Welke, senior special assistant to the GM and one of the club's top scouts, chatted briefly with him.
"I told him to have fun," Welke said. "He just needs to relax and go about being himself and he'll be fine. He looked good out there and in shape."