With MRI results pending, Cubs teammates eye long-term value of Yu Darvish

DETROIT — As the Cubs awaited the latest MRI results Monday on $126 million pitcher Yu Darvish, the attention began to shift to next year and the remaining five years on his contract.

Darvish left a rehab start Sunday after only one inning because of pain near his surgically repaired right elbow similar to the pain that scuttled his previous comeback effort in June.

The Cubs haven’t said it officially, but Darvish isn’t expected to have time to go through the rehab process again and return this season, even though he said he hoped to Sunday. He last pitched May 20 and has made eight starts (1-3, 4.95 ERA) for the Cubs since signing with them as a free agent.

Teammates expressed disappointment for Darvish.

‘‘Hopefully he has the MRI and he won’t have any damage,’’ pitcher Jose Quintana said. ‘‘I saw him the last two weeks, and he was real

excited and happy.’’

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‘‘It stinks for him,’’ first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.

After three months without Darvish nobody in the clubhouse was banking on him.

‘‘I was looking forward to it, I can’t deny that,’’ manager Joe Maddon said. ‘‘But my minor-league training has taught me you’ve got to go out there with the guys you’ve got, and when the cavalry shows up, you utilize them.’’

But the Cubs are banking on him in the long term, with $105 million riding on the next five years.

‘‘He’s obviously going to be a big part of this team,’’ left fielder Kyle Schwarber said. ‘‘We just need him to get healthy. . . . We’re in the stretch run right now, but there’s also a long-term thing here where this guy’s going to have to help us for another [five] years. So we want him to get better and we want him to feel like he’s healthy where he can come back and help us win ballgames.’’