NEW YORK -- Yu Darvish threw 46 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday and could return to the Texas Rangers rotation shortly after the All-Star break.Sidelined by shoulder discomfort since a June 8 outing against Houston, Darvish threw all his pitches during the three-inning game.Ball came out clean. Really tight rotation on the breaking ball. Sharp, Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. There were some breaking balls that were short that youd see him kind of act out on, that he didnt get them where he wanted to, but, again, thats the perfectionist in Yu. The ball had good movement at the plate, had some really nice darting life at the plate.Pitching coach Doug Brocail said Darvishs next step will be determined after the 29-year-old right-hander evaluates how he feels Thursday, when Texas finishes a four-game series against the New York Yankees. A minor league rehab assignment of about 60 pitches or another simulated game are both possibilities. But the Rangers wont put Darvish back in their rotation until after the All-Star break, when their schedule resumes July 15 at the Chicago Cubs.If he feels good enough to go on a rehab assignment, I wouldnt mind sending him on a rehab assignment. If hes reluctant, then well wait, Brocail said.Rangers teammates Jurickson Profar and Ryan Rua batted against Darvish, and Profar homered over the short right-field porch.I told him it doesnt count, `cause it only went 317 (feet), catcher Bryan Holaday said.Banister was impressed by the outing.I dont think there was another ball that was barreled up, he said.Darvish missed last season following Tommy John surgery and is 2-0 with a 2.87 ERA over three starts since returning to the Rangers on May 28 after five rehab starts in the minors. He has 19 strikeouts and six walks over 15 2/3 innings with the Rangers.Curveball was really sharp, Holaday said. His sinker out there was just explosive. Great downward action, and it was late.In other news, Texas claimed left-hander Eric Surkamp off waivers from Oakland and optioned him to Triple-A Round Rock.The 28-year-old Surkamp adds depth to a Texas team that boasts the best record in the American League despite an injury-riddled rotation. In addition to Darvish, left-hander Derek Holland and righty Colby Lewis are on the disabled list.Surkamp is 0-5 with a 6.98 ERA in nine starts over four stints with the Athletics this season. He was designated for assignment on Monday.Surkamp was 3-1 with a 3.07 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Nashville this year. He is 4-8 with a 6.68 ERA in 52 games (16 starts) during his big league career. He also has pitched for the Giants, White Sox and Dodgers.Im sure that well mix him in as a reliever, Banister said. I like the arm.To create space for Surkamp on the 40-man roster, Texas transferred outfielder Drew Stubbs from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL. 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Juventus says Pirlo underwent tests on Monday which revealed he has "a second-degree lesion to the collateral medial ligament in his right knee. Lizzie Armitstead expressed pride and avoided self-pity after her week of turmoil ended in Olympic disappointment at Copacabana beach.The embattled world champion was given a Rio reprieve over three whereabouts failures when the first was declared void by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.But Britains first medalist of London 2012, with silver on The Mall behind Marianne Vos, could only finish fifth in the 137-kilometre road race as the Netherlands Anna van der Breggen won a dramatic gold.Van der Breggen triumphed only after compatriot Annemiek van Vleuten crashed out on the final ascent and Mara Abbott of the United States was caught 200 metres from the line.Abbott did not even win a medal, finishing fourth, as Emma Johansson of Sweden took silver and Italys Elisa Longo Borghini bronze.Armitstead said: I cant feel sorry for myself. This is sport and thats what its about. You open yourself up for judgement. I never gave up and for that I can be proud of myself.Obviously Ive lost quite a lot of sleep and its been a hard time, but its not an excuse.Once Ive got a number on my back Im a totally different person and Im focused and it didnt enter my mind once in the race. I was totally focused on what I do best.Its a deserving Olympic champion for sure.Van Vleuten led with less than 11km to go, but crashed dramatically on the descent which had ended mens road race leader Vincenzo Nibalis chances 24 hours earlier.Officials reported she was conscious, able to communnicate and being taken to hospital for further checks.ddddddddddddChris Boardman, the 1992 Olympic champion, thought the route was dangerous.He told the BBC: Im really just waiting for news on Van Vleuten. Its very hard to concentrate when you see a crash like that. Im actually quite angry because I looked at the road furniture and thought nobody can crash here and get up. This was way past technical, this was dangerous.The crash allowed Abbott to take the lead and she had an advantage of almost 40 seconds as the descent flattened out, only to be denied in the finishing straight.Armitstead had insisted she was not a favourite in the lead-up and so it turned out.It wasnt entirely unexpected, she added. I knew I was going to need a miracle to come away with the gold medal on this course. Im really happy with the tactic that I had and the effort that I did. I came up short on the climb. Thats what Ive been working hard on, but thats sport.Armitsteads teammates Emma Pooley and Nikki Harris did not finish.Pooley, who rides in Wednesdays time-trial, said: It was foolish of her, and Im sure she agrees, to get to the three strikes point, but she was cleared of one of them.Its not the same as taking drugs, missing three tests, and she missed one because they failed to find her and thats a valid excuse. So I think thats perfectly reasonable. ' ' '