Major League Baseball

Yu Darvish arrives at Rangers camp

Published Feb. 21, 2012 10:30 p.m. ET

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Yu Darvish arrived at the Texas Rangers' spring training complex Tuesday and had his first bullpen session with his new team.

Darvish got to camp in Surprise, Ariz., a day before the reporting date for Texas pitchers and catchers.

Rangers manager Ron Washington said Darvish threw about 35 pitches.

''He kept the ball down and hit his spots,'' Washington said. ''He can sink it, he can run it. He's definitely got a good feel for the baseball, he's a power pitcher with finesse stuff.''

The AL champion Rangers committed more than $107 million to acquire Japan's top pitcher. The 25-year-old Darvish got a six-year contract guaranteeing him $56 million, and Texas had to pay a record $51,703,411 posting bid to his former team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

The first official workout is Thursday, and the Rangers said Darvish isn't expected to talk to reporters until then. He didn't talk to the media when walking from the parking lot to the clubhouse Tuesday, or when coming off the field.

The team's clubhouse and practice fields are closed to the media until Thursday.

A two-time Pacific League MVP, the 6-foot-5 Darvish had a 93-38 record with a 1.99 ERA in 167 games the past seven years.

''He's a Japanese pitcher with a power arm,'' Washington said. ''He doesn't rely on deception like most of the Japanese pitchers.''

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