San Diego pitcher Yu Darvish is scheduled to make his season debut against the Diamondbacks on July 7 after missing the first half of the season due to right elbow inflammation.
Darvish (0-0) threw four innings and 64 pitches in a simulated game in Lake Elsinore last week and followed that with a bullpen session over the weekend.
He faced the Diamondbacks once last season, giving up three runs in 5 1/3 innings in a start in September.
Darvish, 38, was considered the top pitcher in Japan before arriving in Major League Baseball in 2012. He finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting in his first season. He is a five-time All-Star and led the AL in strikeouts in 2013.
He has a career MLB record of 110-88 with an ERA of 3.58 and 2,007 strikeouts. He debuted with the Texas Rangers and has also played for the LA Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.