The Texas Rangers are holding onto hope that the team can still turn the season around despite a skid in which Texas lost six of seven games. Rangers’ manager Bruce Bochy attempted to fire the team up after a recent loss. If that didn’t reach the players, perhaps the excitement of ace starter Jacob deGrom’s long-awaited return will lift their spirits.
While deGrom is still working his way back from surgery and has yet to make his 2024 debut with the Rangers, the latest news has him throwing a 45-pitch bullpen session Saturday, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News on X. The workout simulated three innings and the next step in deGrom’s recovery is to face batters.
“It’s definitely exciting … now you’re going to have [a batter] step in, that’s when you’re starting to get close,” deGrom said according to McFarland.
After nine seasons with the New York Mets, deGrom opted out of his contract and hit free agency. The star hurler signed a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers prior to the 2023 season. Unfortunately, the 35-year-old righty only lasted six starts with his new team before tearing the UCL in his right elbow and requiring Tommy John surgery.
While deGrom missed a magical season for the Rangers, which ended with an unlikely World Series title, he did pitch well prior to going down with the season-ending injury. deGrom posted a 2-0 record along with a 2.67 ERA, 0.758 WHIP, 161 ERA+ and 45 strikeouts in 30.1 innings in 2023.
Rangers’ Jacob deGrom is nearing a return to the mound
While considered one of the best starting pitchers of his era, deGrom has struggled to stay healthy over the last couple years. The 10-year veteran hasn’t made more than 15 starts in a season since 2019, when he won the second of his two career Cy Young Awards. The decorated pitcher also took home Rookie of the Year honors in 2014 when he went 9-6 with a 2.69 ERA, 1.140 WHIP and 9.2 K/9.
The Rangers are six games under .500 entering play on Saturday. While the team is nine games back in the American League Wild Card standings, Texas hasn’t quite given up on the season just yet.
The Rangers’ best hope of making the playoffs and going on another improbable postseason run lies in winning the AL West. Texas is currently 5.5 games behind the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners who are tied atop the division.
The team hopes deGrom can join current top starter Nathan Eovaldi in the rotation and help the team make a strong second-half push. Of course, Texas envisioned Max Scherzer being a part of the dominant starting rotation. Unfortunately the Rangers lost Scherzer to the 15-day injured list on Friday with a shoulder ailment. The 40-year-old veteran had just returned from a prior IL stint at the end of June. So far in 2024, Scherzer’s only been able to log eight starts and 39.1 innings for the Rangers.
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