Darvish hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 20 because of right triceps tendinitis. The Japanese ace threw five sharp innings for Class A South Bend.

”In the triceps there’s likeliness to get more fatigue there Carlos Dunlap Jerse , especially if there’s a long gap between innings,” Darvish said through a translator while wearing ice packs on his right shoulder and right elbow. ”That’s when I feel fatigue there. Not necessarily pain, but I can’t for sure say there is nothing going on in the tricep zone.”

Darvish, who pitched a simulated game last week in Chicago, was set to rejoin the Cubs in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He said his performance was ”not perfect.”

”I will be flying into LA and we’ll be discussing more about the future schedule,” Darvish said. ”It’s not up to me to decide. The coaches and manager will have to watch the (rehab) game and decide. It’s not anything bad. Anyone comes off DL goes through this.”

”It’s day by day,” he said. ”It differs. I had some anxiety coming into this game as I did in the sim game. The goal today was to pitch through four innings and not have to cut it short early because of pain.”

Darvish allowed one run and three hits – a solo homer by Joey Morgan and two doubles – against West Michigan in the Midwest League game. He struck out five, walked none and threw 57 pitches, 41 for strikes.

”He could be back by the end of the week,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said at Dodger Stadium before Darvish had completed his outing. ”He is pitching right now. He is doing really well. He is throwing a lot of strikes. His fastball has been good and his breaking ball has been good so he is getting really close.”

The 6-foot-5 Darvish, who signed a $126 million, six-year contract as a free agent in the offseason, has struggled to a 1-3 record with a 4.95 ERA in eight games. He’s twice been on the disabled list, the first time for flu.

Darvish threw an assortment of pitches, with his fastball reaching 94 mph. He ended the fourth with a 62 mph slow curve to strike out a completely fooled Reynaldo Rivera and received high-fives from his teammates when he reached the dugout.

LOS ANGELES — The Pittsburgh Pirates are undecided on a starter for Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers Patriots Danny Shelton Jersey , and volunteers might be hard to come by.

The Dodgers’ offense is coming off a productive June when they hit 55 home runs, most in a calendar month in franchise history. And at the start of July, they look even better.

First the Dodgers crushed the Pirates on Monday to the tune of 17 runs and 21 hits. On Tuesday it was six home runs, including back-to-back homers from Joc Pederson and Max Muncy to lead off the game. Muncy went deep twice and has 20 on the season.

So with scheduled starter Joe Musgrove headed to the disabled list with a finger infection, the Pirates must send somebody else to the wolves.

Right-hander Clay Holmes (0-0, 2.25 ERA) is expected to make his first start of the season for Pittsburgh on Wednesday. He has pitched in two games for the Pirates this season, and he threw two hitless, scoreless innings in his most recent appearance June 24 against Arizona. He has never faced the Dodgers.

The Dodgers’ Rich Hill (1-3, 4.68) will make his fourth start since coming off the disabled list because of a blister on the middle finger of his left hand.

On Friday, Hill faced the Colorado Rockies and gave up one run on six hits over 6 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts. He threw 110 pitches in that game, validating the series of laser treatments he received while out of action.

“I was really pleased with the consistency of the flight of the ball,” Hill said after his last outing, according to the Los Angeles Times. “The way the curveball came out of my hand, the consistency of that. Everything really came together tonight.”

Hill is 3-2 lifetime against the Pirates with a 3.25 ERA over nine starts, although he is a far different pitcher than the first time he squared off against them in 2006.

Holmes faces a major challenge against the Dodgers’ potent offense. When Matt Kemp went 5-for-5 with a homer on Monday Patriots Jason McCourty Jersey , it gave him a hit in eight consecutive at-bats.

Also homering for the Dodgers on Tuesday were Yasmani Grandal, Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor.

The Dodgers’ run-scoring onslaught has left the Pirates reeling. Not only did the Pirates’ bullpen absorb five innings Monday, it was called on for three more innings Tuesday. Tuesday’s starter, Ivan Nova, allowed seven runs on nine hits in his five-plus innings.

“We’ve been a little short on the front end of things, which has provided some complications on the bullpen,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said, according to mlb.com.

The Dodgers will see their 10-game homestand come to an end Wednesday, but their Southern California stay is just beginning. Next up is a “road trip” to Anaheim and San Diego, before three more home games to close out the first half.

The Pirates are 2-3 on their six-game tour of Southern California, having faced the San Diego Padres before arriving in Los Angeles. They are 4-4 on their nine-game road trip, which also included a stop in New York to face the Mets.