Yu Darvish scratched from Rangers' Opening Day start

Yu Darvish has been slowed by a stiff neck during spring training. (Masterpress/Getty Images)

Rangers ace Yu Darvish will not pitch in the team's season-opener against the Phillies on Sunday because of a stiff neck, the team announced Tuesday.

Darvish was scratched from a scheduled start Friday with a stiff neck and has now gone nine days without pitching off a mound. He's traveling from Arizona back to Texas to see neck and back specialist Dr. Drew Dossett on Wednesday.

The team's Opening Day pitcher has yet to be determined. Candidates include Martin Perez or Tanner Scheppers, who would be making his first MLB start.

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On Monday, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels expressed "moderate concern" that Darvish might be forced to miss his first start.

The Rangers, who lost starting pitcher Derek Holland until after the All-Star break, have been rocked with a string of spring training injuries including Jurickson Profar and starting catcher Geovany Soto.