The Texas Rangers have a lot invested in the upcoming season, having done everything in their power to build a competitive club that could compete with the best the American League has to offer. It might all just be a fantasy, though, if their new ace Jacob deGrom is not healthy.

DeGrom, who has spent more than his fair share on the Injured List of late, experienced tightness on his left side before he could officially debut with the team in Spring Training. Rangers general manager Chris Young provided an update that should alleviate some of the anxiety fans had been feeling the last couple days.

He has made good progress and was willing to pitch Saturday, but Texas is holding him out as a precaution, according to Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post. If all goes well, deGrom could participate in team workouts for the first time on Sunday.

Optimism is always going to be tempered when it comes to the two-time Cy Young's health, but everyone knows the immediate impact he should have on the Rangers pitching staff if he consistently takes the mound. He displayed dominance and control that had transported fans back to the days of Sandy Koufax when he recorded a sterling 1.08 ERA in 2021. The catch, deGrom only started 15 games for the Mets that season before making just 11 starts last year.

Texas never flinched at deGrom's medical history, inking him to a five-year, $185 million contract over the winter. They know how valuable even a sample size of the 34-year-old will be for a rotation that has lacked an elite arm at the top for a long time. Now, he will be paired with veterans Jon Gray and Martin Perez- an All-Star in 2022 with a superb 2.89 ERA- as well as other promising hurlers like Dane Dunning.

The Rangers front office has played the part of a big-spending title contender after a half-decade of futility. The burden now shifts to the field to see if the grand vision will come to fruition, or if this get-good quick model crumbles right away.

The answer to that question could very well depend on the deGrominator's long-term health.