The reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers’ title defense has not gone as the team had hoped so far. Still, the Rangers remain in the race for the AL West. And the team could be adding a key piece soon as Jacob deGrom is nearing his long-awaited return.
After getting in a 45-pitch bullpen session last Saturday that simulated three innings of work, deGrom is now set to face batters. The Rangers will have their ace go through a warm-up session in the bullpen before throwing 20 pitches to minor league hitters on Thursday, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Assuming the two-time Cy Young Award winner doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he’ll go through two innings of work against minor league bats early next week. The Rangers hope that the two sessions are the last step before deGrom can begin a rehab assignment at the team’s Triple-A affiliate.
“I’m excited … You want to see where you are. Bullpens are one thing, but it’s different when a hitter steps in. You get a better idea of how you are executing pitches. Now, it’s about building consistency of pitches,” deGrom said per Grant.
The four-time All-Star signed a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers before the 2023 season after spending his first nine years as a pro with the New York Mets. However, deGrom only threw 30.1 innings for his new team before going down with a right elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
Rangers’ Jacob deGrom “excited” to face hitters
The Rangers would go on to win a stunning and unexpected World Series but deGrom missed out. He underwent surgery in June of last year and has been working his way back since but he’s yet to make his 2024 debut.
Prior to the injury, deGrom was his usual dominant self in his first season with the Rangers, compiling a 2-0 record with a 2.67 ERA, 0.758 WHIP, 161 ERA+ and 13.4 K/9 in six starts for Texas. The 10-year veteran is eager to return to the mound. And facing batters for the first time in his recovery is a massive step forward.
“It’s been more than a year since I’ve thrown a slider to a hitter, more than a year since I threw a changeup. You need to get those pitches consistent and the only way to really judge that is with a hitter in the [batters] box to see reactions,” deGrom explained via Grant.
The Rangers are five games behind the first-place Seattle Mariners in the AL West and will attempt to claw their way to the top of the division over the second half of the season. While Texas is just 8-10 since the All-Star break, the team received more positive pitching news with the return of starter Tyler Mahle.
Mahle had been recovering from his own Tommy John surgery and was out of action until making his season debut Tuesday. He went five innings, allowing five hits and one earned run in a tremendous return from a serious injury.
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