Reds Get Tangled Up With Texas

The Reds tangle with Texas and Yu Darvish on Sunday.

Darvish was scratched from his start on Monday with a stiff neck but recently threw a bullpen session and was pronounced fit to face the Reds.

Darvish was twice the MVP of the Pacific League in Japan. The 26-year old from Osaka, Japan won 16 games and struck out 221 in 191 1/3 innings.

The Reds lineup facing Darvish is:

Shin-Soo Choo CF
Brandon Phillips 2B
Joey Votto 1B
Ryan Ludwick LF
Jay Bruce RF
Todd Frazier 3B
Zack Cozart SS
Miguel Olivo C
Mat Latos P

Jonathan Broxton, Clay Hensley and Manny Para will pitch after Latos, who is scheduled to pitch six innings.

Choo's back has improved enough for him to get back into action with a week left.

"Choo was rolling before he got hurt," Dusty Baker said. "We still have time to get him sharp again. We want to push some if anything he has to push back. We have to be careful we don't over extend him. We don't want him to have a setback.  Usually, you worry about a guy being lazy and not being a worker but this guy is the opposite."

Jonathan Broxton knew it was possible that Chapman would come back to his role as closer and he was prepared.

"As long as we got the win, I don't care," Broxton said. "Whatever it takes to win a ring. It's just three outs no matter where you pitch. With the game today the seventh inning is just as important. Before you get to the eighth, you have to get to the seventh. Every inning this day and age is just as important as the ninth."