Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom was understandably emotional after learning that he would need Tommy John surgery. After signing a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers in free agency, deGrom could miss the better part of his first two seasons in Texas.
Jacob deGrom's Tommy John surgery is scheduled for next week. The Rangers' starting pitcher was placed on the injured list on April 29 with right elbow inflammation, though the injury turned out to be much worse than Texas initially knew it to be.
“This stinks,” deGrom said through tears, via The Dallas Morning News' Evan Grant. “It's not ideal. But at least we know what it is now. I want to get it fixed and will set a goal to be back before the end of next year.”
The Rangers transferred deGrom to the 60-day IL Monday. There was hope among Texas fans that the move was simply a formality because the pitcher wouldn't be ready to return until very late June or early July.
It will mark the second time that deGrom is undergoing Tommy John surgery. Shortly after being selected by the New York Mets in the 2010 MLB Draft, deGrom underwent the procedure to repair a torn UCL in his elbow.
Once deGrom made his MLB debut in 2014, he became one of the most reliable starters in baseball. He won the 2014 NL Rookie of the Year award with a 2.69 ERA in 22 starts. From 2015-2019, deGrom averaged 29.8 starts per year. After winning consecutive NL Cy Young awards, deGrom made 12 starts in the 60-game pandemic-shortened season.
Injuries became a problem for deGrom in 2021. He only made 15 starts that season and 11 starts in the 2022 campaign. Six starts were all deGrom was able to make for the Rangers before his 2023 came to an abrupt end.
Because the recovery from Tommy John surgery is so extensive, it's unknown if deGrom will be able to pitch at all during the 2024 season.
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