Chicago Cubs: Is it time to be worried about Yu Darvish?

Should the Chicago Cubs be worried about Yu Darvish? We’re only a month into the season so that a lot could change, but the trend to this point is a bit concerning.

The Chicago Cubs tried and tried throughout Jake Arrieta‘s career to extend his contract but to no avail. At a certain point, it seemed the franchise and its fans had come to terms with the fact that Arrieta was about to leave. That’s where Yu Darvish comes in. The Cubs weren’t about to let to the talent level of their rotation drop so drastically.

After six starts, though, Darvish has looked less than impressive. He’s made two good starts, both against the Milwaukee Brewers. The other four, however, were hard to watch. And they all have one thing in common: He failed to make it out of the fifth inning. In his two good outings, he gave up just one earned run in a combined 12 innings pitched. The four bad starts: 19 earned runs in 18 innings.

Time to panic?

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs should keep close eye on non-tender candidate Cody Bellinger
• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups

In short, this isn’t the Yu Darvish the Cubs paid for. Hitting the panic button early in the season is never a good idea, though. Even after a full month, the sample size is still relatively small.

Take Anthony Rizzo for example. He’s currently slashing .171/.269/.280. You’d be a fool to believe he’ll finish the season with a similar line.

Darvish should be afforded the same patience. But there is some extra cause for concern. His stuff has looked up to par. The movement is great and the velocity is right where it should be.

The problem, currently, is how he handles tough situations. Particularly in the fifth inning. If a call doesn’t go his way or he walks someone he shouldn’t have, he completely falls apart.

When adversity hits, he’s noticeably frustrated while he’s pitching and seems to be less methodical. If he’s going to overcome this fifth inning problem, he needs to be able to get a level head when things aren’t going his way. This is partly the catcher’s job, too.

Next: Cubs need to heat up against the Cardinals

There’s plenty of time to get this thing figured out. And maybe this problem will just go away on its own. But if it continues well into May, the Cubs may have to consider calling up Chris Gimenez, a veteran catcher who’s worked with Darvish before.