Chicago Cubs' Darvish relieved to know that problems weren't in his head

Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish said Thursday he's relieved to know there is something indeed wrong with his right elbow but that even he thought the problem might be all in his head.

Darvish met the media at Wrigley Field as the Cubs returned home from their road trip. He has not pitched since May and will not pitch again this year because of a stress reaction on the tip of his right elbow and inflammation in his triceps.

“Some people referred to this as my weakness on the mental side,” he said through a translator. “Because there was uncertainty this whole time, I kind of speculated that might be a factor, the mental side. But with the diagnosis, I'm relieved to know that it's not and there was something serious in my arm.

“Until the diagnosis, there was some time that I thought it could be my mental side because there was an unknown factor.”

Darvish added he is fully aware of comments made about him on social media questioning his mental toughness.

“A person can't really tell,” he said. “For instance, say you have an injury and you can't really tell how much that hurts because you're not that person. So it's hard to think of it as if you were that person and being so unsure like that.

“I think it's just natural for me to receive those kind of comments toward me because they don't really understand where the pain is and how much the pain is.

“Like the first MRI I had taken (in May), there was nothing shown. But the pain remained and it kept lingering, so I didn't know where to stop thinking about it or overcome. I didn't know where to fight through it. I was aware of those comments.”

Darvish, who signed a six-year, $126 million contract with the Cubs on the eve of spring training, pitched in only eight games this year, going 1-3 with a 4.95 ERA.

Murphy addresses comments:

New Cubs infielder Daniel Murphy also addressed the media Thursday. Murphy expressed happiness to be with the Cubs, against whom he has hit well in the past, with the Mets and Nationals, from whom the Cubs obtained him in a trade this week.

He was asked about controversial comments he made in 2015 regarding Billy Bean, Major League Baseball's inclusion ambassador, a former player who is gay.

At the time, Murphy said he “disagreed with (Bean's) lifestyle.”

“What I would say to that is I've been able to really foster what I would call a really positive relationship with Billy Bean since that time,” Murphy said Thursday. “I'm really excited to continue to cultivate that relationship that we've built.”

When asked what he might have to say to gay Cubs fans who might not want to cheer for the team because of him, Murphy replied: “Oh, dear. I would hope that you would root for the Cubs.”

Flurry of roster moves:

The Cubs said they would call up right-hander Alec Mills from Class AAA to start Friday's game against the Reds. Mills made 1 relief appearance with the Cubs earlier this year. The Cubs officially were undecided on a starter before Thursday.

Tyler Chatwood, who lost his spot in the rotation, went on the 10-day disabled list with left-hip inflammation. The Cubs said he suffered the injury in last Saturday's spot start at Pittsburgh, when he lasted 2 innings.

To fill Chatwood's spot, the Cubs recalled reliever Dillon Maples from Iowa. He could go back when Mills is brought up.

Reliever Brian Duensing left to join Iowa for an injury rehab assignment. He is on the DL with left-shoulder inflammation.

Closer Brandon Morrow underwent a scan to determine where he is with his case of right-biceps inflammation. Morrow has been on the DL effective July 18.