Jacob deGrom is inching closer to a return to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have officially set a debut date for deGrom, who missed over a year while after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy announced his starting rotation for the upcoming series against the Seattle Mariners and named deGrom the starter for Friday, according to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News.

DeGrom made four rehab starts before being activated by the Rangers. In his last rehab appearance with Double-A Frisco, deGrom pitched four one-hit shutout innings, throwing a very efficient 49 pitches.

This is huge news for the Rangers. Even though they are currently in third place in the AL West and are effectively out of the postseason race, getting deGrom back for a few potential starts this season will give him some valuable game experience ahead of a pivotal 2025 season.

Why the Texas Rangers need Jacob deGrom back

Texas Rangers squats pitch Jacob deGrom stands in the outfield before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
© Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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This season has been a disaster for the Rangers. After the Rangers won the World Series last year, expectations were sky-high heading into 2024. Instead of competing for a chance to potentially defend their title, the Rangers have been nowhere near the postseason race.

One of the biggest reasons why has been their lack of pitching. While the Rangers won the World Series last season without deGrom, they had a much deeper rotation with Max Scherzer, who has missed a majority of this season, and Jordan Montgomery, who left in free agency and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

When healthy, deGrom is one of the absolute best pitchers in all of baseball. A four-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young winner during the first nine years of his career with the New York Mets, deGrom can still be a difference maker even at age-36 and having rehabbed from two separate Tommy John surgeries.

The goal for deGrom this season as he returns to the Major Leagues should just be to try and get comfortable and prepare for next season without over-extending himself. Results should not be the main priority. If deGrom can develop some sort of rhythm while staying healthy so that he can have a normal offseason, that would be the best case scenario.

This may be a lost season for the Rangers. But, these next few starts for deGrom could still put him on the right track towards the 2025 season. If he is able to look like an ace again, the Rangers will be in great position to turn things around.