SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 20: Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 20, 2024 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
FRISCO, Texas - Jacob deGrom has taken his biggest step yet toward getting back on a big league mound this season, something that's important to Texas' ace right-hander even with the Rangers essentially out of playoff contention.
DeGrom pitched in a game for the first time since April 28, 2023, throwing 29 pitches over two innings in a minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Thursday night.
The defending World Series champions started the day 10 games back in the AL West with 34 games remaining, so the return of the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner doesn't figure to make a difference in the race.
It will be notable for the 36-year-old and the franchise that gave deGrom a $185 million, five-year contract in free agency before the 2023 season despite an extensive injury history. He made just six starts before being sidelined by his second major elbow surgery.
"It’s very important," said deGrom, who struck out three after giving up two hits and a run to start his outing. "That way, I can treat the offseason a little bit more normal. If I don’t get out there, it’s going to feel like I’ve been rehabbing all that time through, whatever that is, almost a year and a half."
Location was a problem, deGrom thought, but he threw 21 pitches for strikes. The four-time All-Star mixed fastballs, including one at 100 mph for his first strikeout, with sliders and a few changeups.
DeGrom says those are likely to be the only three pitches he throws in a game this season, and he isn't sure how many rehab assignments he will need.
"I don’t think we’ve gone that far yet," deGrom said. "One step at a time. Make sure I bounce back tomorrow, then we’ll come up with a plan from there."
DeGrom spent his first nine major league seasons with the Mets, but threw only 156 1/3 innings over 26 starts his last two years in New York.
He missed the final three months of 2021 with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, then didn’t make his first big league start in 2022 until Aug. 2, after being shut down late in spring training because of a stress reaction in his right scapula.
Texas won all six games started by deGrom (2-0, 2.67 ERA) last season before he got hurt. His last game was against the New York Yankees when he exited early because of injury concerns for the second time in three starts. The surgery was June 12 last year.
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The competitive juices were flowing for deGrom. He appeared to be joking with the home plate umpire at one point, but said he was actually questioning a pitch that was called a ball.
"Once you get out there, you’re competing," deGrom said. "That’s what we love to do. I’ve missed a year of it and kind of like want to be out there. This is the first step of it."
Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer was supposed to take a step toward a return from right shoulder fatigue with a rehab start at Frisco on Friday night.
The Rangers scratched that plan with Scherzer and said there was no immediate word on what would be next for the 40-year-old who has been limited to eight starts by offseason back surgery along with nerve and arm issues during the season.