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Jacob deGrom's long road back to the major leagues is reaching its pivotal moment, with the Texas Rangers ace potentially just one start away from making his highly anticipated return. After undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery in June 2023, deGrom has been methodically working his way through the rehab process, with his latest outing at Triple-A Round Rock providing a glimpse of the dominant form that earned him two Cy Young Awards. In this third rehab start, deGrom struck out five batters over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while his fastball clocked in at nearly 100 mph.
Speaking about his recovery, deGrom expressed optimism about his progress, saying, “Physically feel really good.” When asked if he feels like his old self, he added, “I’ve seen glimpses [of my old self]. I’ve gone so long without pitching competitively. I think sometimes with the slider, I try to do too much with it and yank it.”
He highlighted the adjustments he’s been making, including a stretch during his recent outing where he threw five consecutive sliders. “I was trying to make adjustments in the game. I ended up throwing five in a row at one point because I was like, ‘I'm gonna keep doing this until I throw it how I want it,’” deGrom explained.
Jacob deGrom looks like a future big leaguer👀
His final line: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.#ItAllStartsHere | #RRExpress pic.twitter.com/PwViJhCcPN
— Round Rock Express (@RRExpress) September 1, 2024
Jacob deGrom could potentially return to Rangers' bullpen this weekend
As deGrom inches closer to his return, the Texas Rangers are weighing their options. While the plan currently calls for deGrom to make a fourth rehab start with Double-A Frisco on Saturday, the possibility of him rejoining the Rangers’ roster sooner rather than later is on the table.
DeGrom himself acknowledged this, noting, “I think it's just seeing where we're at with what we have here pitching, kind of how this week goes. I think if I did throw here it wouldn't be more than three [innings]. So depending on where the bullpen's at, and then what we think…whether they want me to go four innings, that would be there in Frisco, or three possibly here.”
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy confirmed that discussions are ongoing, but emphasized a cautious approach, stating:
“That's always an option, but I don’t think that’s what we’re going to do. If something happened, and we were in a position where we thought we needed to do it and it was fine with Jacob, yeah, we would do it. But for now, the plan is still for him to start down there [in Frisco].”
As he continues his recovery, deGrom remains focused on the bigger picture, carefully considering the best course of action for his return.
“We’re going to weigh all these options,” deGrom said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to feel good throughout this whole process, so I think at this point now, it's just to make sure we don't do anything not smart. Just like what is the best path, or smartest path forward.”
Whether Jacob deGrom makes his return this weekend with the Frisco RoughRiders or rejoins the Texas Rangers during their upcoming West Coast road trip, one thing is clear: his comeback is imminent.
