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Jacob deGrom's Major League return has cleared another hurdle. The two-time Cy Young award winner will make a rehab start Thursday for the Texas Rangers' Double-A affiliate, according to Jeff Wilson of Rangers Daily.
deGrom, who hasn't topped 100 innings in a season since 2019, will also throw a bullpen on Tuesday, Wilson added.
The four-time All-Star last pitched in a Major League game on April 28, 2023. The former Met signed a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers during the 2022 offseason but started only six games before a torn UCL and Tommy John surgery ended his 2023 season.
The Rangers pitcher has been quietly ramping up with the goal of returning this season. He's faced live hitters three times, most recently on Saturday, and spoke to the media after, indicating he was ready to pitch in a game.
“My arm feels great except now it's just been, what, how many months? Fourteen?” deGrom asked, according to a report from the AP. “You've got your [teammates] in there. You go face other guys, and I think that'll help a little bit.”
deGrom also got a vote of confidence from his manager, Bruce Bochy, that he is ready to progress in his rehab.
“It looks like Jacob's ready to go. We'll see how he comes out of this,” Bruce Bochy said. “He'll be starting rehab here soon.”
Jacob deGrom wants to pitch this season despite the standings
deGrom probably envisioned his comeback to happen in the middle of a heated pennant race. The Rangers are, after all, defending World Series champions.
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The season hasn't gone according to plan, however, with the Rangers 12.5 games out of the Wild Card hunt as of August 19. For that reason, it would make sense for Texas to want to hold deGrom out the rest of the season — why risk something happening in meaningless games?
deGrom doesn't see it that way. Asked how many innings he wants to pitch before the end of the season, he wouldn't give a number. He just wanted some return to normalcy.
“Get out there this year, kind of treat it like a normal offseason, and get ready for next year,” he said.
Bochy sees it similarly. deGrom is signed through at least his age 39 season and wants to prove he can be a reliable part of the rotation in 2025.
“He has missed a lot of time,” Bochy said. “He's an athlete. He's a pitcher. He wants to compete. I think it means a lot to him as he goes into the offseason.”
With Jon Gray also nearing a return and Max Scherzer saying he wants to pitch next year, the Rangers can give fans a preview of what to expect from a healthy rotation moving forward. Gray has one more year on the four-year deal he signed with the Rangers in 2021. Scherzer is a free agent after the season and hasn't pitched since July 30.
Given the existing health concerns already in the rotation, the Rangers would be taking a risk in bringing Scherzer back, but the potential for another postseason squad remains.
