Rangers’ rotation on Darvish: Yu complete me

ARLINGTON –This is the rotation the Rangers have been waiting for, going back to last year when they acquired Cole Hamels from the Phillies, and Derek Holland and Martin Perez showed they were over their injuries.

A.J. Griffin and Cesar Ramos did a nice job filling in as fifth starters, but now Yu Darvish has completed his 14-month recovery from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. He will join Hamels, Holland, Perez and Colby Lewis in the rotation, pitching against the Pirates on Saturday night.

This is a rotation the Rangers expect to be one of the best in game, one that can get them into the playoffs and beyond. If it really all does begin with starting pitching, Texas appears to be well-positioned.

“We’re going to be really good,” Holland said. “There is no doubt we have the confidence. We believe it. He adds one more power arm to the rotation.”

Hamels and Darvish are both former All-Stars, two power pitchers with No. 1 talent. Holland and Lewis are World Series veterans who have climbed back from an oppressive array of injuries, while Perez has long been considered the Rangers’ best pitching prospect but had to overcome his own Tommy John surgery.

They are all healthy and lined up for the final four months of the season on a team that is 27-20 and 1 1/2 games out of first place in the American League West. Now they add Darvish to the mix. The last time he was healthy for a full season was in 2013 when he finished second in the AL Cy Young Award voting and led the league in strikeouts.

“When he’s out there, you have the utmost confidence that he’s going to help the team win,” Hamels said. “It’s always good to have another starter. We have five starters and some spot starters that have come …

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