spoThe two-time National League Cy Young Award winner’s comeback for the AL West-leading Texas Rangers has been delayed until at least late June after he was placed on the 60-day injured list on Monday.
DeGrom hasn’t pitched since leaving a game early due to injury concerns twice in three starts starting on April 28. The next day, when an MRI revealed inflammation in his right elbow, he was put on the 15-day IL.
Chris Young, the general manager, stated that deGrom “hasn’t improved maybe as quickly as we had hoped” after five bullpen sessions since going on the IL. The 34-year-old right-hander, who the Rangers signed to a $185 million, five-year contract in December, will now undergo another MRI and other tests.
On April 28, 2023 in Arlington, Texas, Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers takes the mound against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning of the game at Globe Life Field. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The earliest day on which he might be activated is June 28 due to the transfer to the 60-day IL.
“We don’t see anything before that as a possibility,” Young stated. “We need to be cautious as we move forward,”
Following his trip home to Florida for the birth of his third kid, DeGrom returned to the club on Monday. After his fifth bullpen session since starting the IL on Wednesday in Detroit, he took a flight to get there.
Young claimed that during such exercises, deGrom had to deal with some soreness.
As with most recoveries, there have been both good and terrible days, according to Young. “I’m not sure how he felt specifically in the bullpen (in Detroit). I had heard that the ball was exiting successfully. In all honesty, he’s going through a difficult time at home, and this is one where we didn’t call to check on him every hour.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Arlington, Texas, during the seventh inning of a baseball game between the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals, starting pitcher Jacob deGrom shakes hands with manager Bruce Bochy, to the right. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
DeGrom spent his first nine major league seasons with the Mets before signing with the Rangers as a free agent. His last two years in New York saw him only play 156 1/3 innings over 26 starts due to injury.
He pitched 92 innings in 2021 with a 1.08 ERA, but he missed the final three months of the season due to tightness in his right forearm and an elbow strain. After being sidelined late in spring training due to a stress response in his right scapula, he didn’t make his first big-league start until Aug. 2 of the previous season.
DeGrom (2-0) has started six games for Texas, all of which they have won, but he has only pitched 30 1/3 innings. With 45 strikeouts and four walks, he has a 2.67 ERA. On April 28, he faced the New York Yankees and went 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run before departing the game due to arm pain.
When he pitches, I think he’s the best in the world. When he’s on the mound, he just commands attention, Young said. However, the choice to bring him here was made five years ago, and we are taking that into account in our current course of action.
On Sunday, April 23, 2023, in Arlington, Texas, starting pitcher Jacob deGrom of the Texas Rangers throws to the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)
Before the Rangers revealed the change in DeGrom’s status, he wasn’t present in the clubhouse for the series opener against St. Louis.
Aaron Rodgers was seen at a Taylor Swift concert at MetLife Stadium, the home of his new Jets.
He is ecstatic about the team and our performance. However, he wants to take part in it. The former big league pitcher Young added, “He wants to be out there. “I’ve been in his position before, so I know how it works. You want to push yourself to get out there, but you don’t want to push yourself to the point where you risk things becoming worse, experiencing setbacks, or anything similar.
DeGrom’s 60-day IL placement made room for Spencer Howard to be activated from that list on the Rangers’ 40-man roster. 58 games were missed by Howard due to a right lat strain.
