Yu Darvish swayed to play by teammates' conviction

While expressing some trepidation about playing during the coronavirus pandemic, Chicago Cubs starter Yu Darvish was swayed to report to camp -- and stay -- after seeing how seriously his teammates were taking matters.

"It was a tough decision but everyone is doing it [playing]," Darvish said through an interpreter while wearing a mask in a Sunday Zoom call. "Everyone has concerns but everyone decided to play so it makes it easier of me to make a decision to play.

"I still have concerns."

Darvish, 33, had worries about the virus going back to spring training, in March. In fact, during a short illness, he made sure to stay away from teammates while getting himself checked out.

"I don't want to be in the clubhouse, if I have the coronavirus or something like that, coming into the clubhouse and spread to everybody, that's not good, right?" Darvish said back in early March.

His fears haven't subsided.

"At some point I think everyone is going to get this [the virus]," he said on Sunday.

Darvish could always change his mind but said it's doubtful he'd opt out now. The Cubs haven't had a single player test positive for the coronavirus so far.

"I came here making sure everyone is doing the right thing, and then I had it in mind, if they're not, I was ready to go home," Darvish said.

Darvish could be the de facto ace of the Cubs heading into the shortened season. His second half of 2019 included a 2.76 ERA and .199 batting average against. Manager David Ross stopped short of naming him the Opening Day starter before the shutdown but that could still be in the offing.

"He's extremely important," Ross said. "The way he finished the season last year ... that's the guy we're counting on."

Darvish might have a leg up on most other players when it comes to one part of their new routine: wearing a mask.

"I used to wear this all the time in Japan so I'm very comfortable with this," he said.