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After four years, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom is back in the All-Star Game.
The road back wasn't easy for the now five-time All-Star. He signed with Texas after establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the game with the New York Mets. But after just six starts that season, he went down with an injury and spent the next year recovering from Tommy John surgery. deGrom returned at the end of the 2024 season to make three starts.
Jacob deGrom is back at the #AllStarGame for the first time since 2021 🙏
The @Rangers pitcher shares what it means to him to rebound from injury and get back to this point.
📺 All-Star Media Day on MLB Network pic.twitter.com/7Q4ZAGb8XU
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 14, 2025
“That’s a gut punch,” he admitted in an appearance on MLB Network on Monday. “Second one, there is a lot of unknown. But trust in the rehab process and never doubting that I would be able to be back out there…I said it before, going out there last year and even only making three starts, that was huge for me. To be able to treat the offseason like a normal offseason and prepare for this year.”
deGrom may have trusted that he'd be able to get back to elite status, but that doesn't mean it was an easy road emotionally.
“Any time you’re taken away from this game, this is what we do. You want to be out there competing and then you feel like kind of a letdown,” he continued. “You’re sitting there like, ‘aw man I’m not going to be able to play for this long.' You don't know how long it’s going to be. But then for me I had to flip that mindset of, ‘hey this is what I have to do to get back out there.'”
deGrom finished the first half with a 9-2 record and 2.32 ERA with a 0.908 WHIP. It was more than enough to earn him the All-Star nod, though he will not pitch Tuesday night in Atlanta. He will be at the game, but is on track to pitch Saturday when the Rangers face the Houston Astros. Instead, the 37-year-old is hoping a few days off will do him some good.
