No sooner had he buttoned up a Dodgers jersey than Yu Darvish changed his release point and realized better results on the mound. I originally didn’t know what to think of the change when I noticed it in November , even suggesting that it might be indicative of fatigue and, as a consequence, a potential injury. But we’ve learned that Darvish’s adjustments were actually part of a conscious effort by the Dodgers to optimize the righty’s pitches.
“The Dodgers have encouraged Darvish to change a number of things since he joined them from Texas – his arm slot, the rhythm of his delivery and his pitch mix,” explained Bill Plunkett of the Los Angeles Daily News.