April 29: The Rangers don’t yet have an update on deGrom, but manager Bruce Bochy expects they’ll know more before tonight’s match against the Yankees, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com.
April 28: The Rangers removed Jacob deGrom in the fourth inning of tonight’s matchup against the Yankees. Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters postgame that deGrom had experienced some forearm tightness but called the removal a “precautionary” measure (relayed by Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). He’ll be reevaluated tomorrow.
It’s the second time this year in which deGrom has left a start early. He experienced some wrist soreness during an appearance against the Royals a couple weeks back. deGrom maintained at the time he’d make his next start and he did just that. Any mention of forearm discomfort is more alarming than wrist soreness, though, considering that forearm tightness can be a precursor to ligament issues in the elbow.
deGrom’s recent injury history was the primary question when he hit free agency for the first time last offseason. There was no doubt of his brilliance but health concerns kept him off the mound for over a full calendar year between 2021-22. deGrom left a few starts early during the 2021 campaign before a midsummer forearm issue that wound up cutting his season short. Forearm tightness sent him to the injured list around the All-Star Break that year; then-Mets’ president Sandy Alderson later said deGrom had been dealing with a low-grade tear in his UCL, an eyebrow-raising assertion considering the right-hander had undergone Tommy John surgery before making his MLB debut. The pitcher refuted that, calling his ligament “perfectly fine.”
While he returned from that forearm issue to start 2022, he was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his scapula (shoulder blade) the following spring. That prevented him from making his season debut until August. Once he returned to the mound, he was effective as ever, striking out a laughable 42.4% of opposing hitters over 11 starts.
Texas made deGrom the centerpiece of a pitching-heavy offseason, inking him to a five-year, $185MM deal. The Rangers have gotten exactly what they’d hoped for from the two-time Cy Young winner when he’s been on the mound. After today’s appearance, he’s up to 30 1/3 innings of 2.67 ERA ball. deGrom has punched out an elite 39.1% of batters faced while walking just 3.5% of opponents.
The Rangers’ revamped rotation entered play tonight with a 3.82 ERA, the ninth-lowest mark in the majors. deGrom and Martín Pérez have been excellent. Nathan Eovaldi has quality strikeout and walk numbers but a middling ERA, while the opposite is true of Jon Gray. Andrew Heaney has a strong strikeout rate but been a little homer-prone through his first few starts.
Wheels on the bus go round and round
Right after being swept by the Reds after 2 blown 6-run leads…
deGrom=damaged goods.
Judge = delicate glass
Does Judge being that make you feel better about DeGrom?
Yes, it does.
OK, that gives everyone some insight into you I guess. I don’t care for either, but Judge is day to day while your guy is likely out 18 months.
15 day DL = 1.5 years?
@sid. It was fare return fire.
TJ surgery, slick.
Carl was better than BOTH COMBINED. Dinosaurs DONT EXSIST YOU’VE ALL BEEN SPOON FED LIES!
Bruh I love it, finally someone as crazy as me old hippyripper22
@sid. It was fare return fire.
@Jurassic. LOL!
I thought you were doing anagrams. deGrom = jobgrade.com
Damaged…….”GOOD”s
This is why you don’t sign damaged goods to an unnecessary 5 year contract but the Texas Rangers aren’t exactly a smartly ran franchise.
Wow!
Really hate to see it. His Body just seems to be breaking down
deGrom’s health >>> anything else in life
Wrong. Lol
@deGrom Texas. i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/022/017/t…
I remember the day he made his MLB debut. This man has wowed me on many occasions and I’ve spent uncountable amounts on tickets, gas, and tolls just to see him in person. I wish nothing but the best for Jake and have been waiting eagerly to see him be enshrined as a Met in the Hall of Fame…. But the guy just can’t stay healthy. And I defended him against all the injury prone arguments when he started getting hurt at first. It’s depressing really.
Unfortunately, after the contract he signed, if he goes into the Hall, he will be wearing a Rangers hat. Doubt his health will allow it to worth a debate.
No way he is going to the Hall! No way!
@stymeedone: it’s way too early to predict if deGrom will even make the Hall of Fame, but if he does, the smart money is on him wearing a Mets cap. 9 seasons, a Rookie of the Year win, two Cy Youngs. If he pitches his entire contract with the Rangers (a big if considering injuries and age), it’d still only be five seasons, and he’d need to be incredible to surpass his Mets accomplishments.
He’s not getting into the hall at this point.
At the pace he’s going the Rangers May get a full year of service within the 5 year span of the contract.
@stymeed he is 35 with 1600 Ks and 84 Ws. He is not going into the HOF.
There it is, too bad
The MLBTR post you can set your watch to.
deGrom vs Giancarlo. Will their duels be legend?
Either that or nonexistent
It looks like all those 100 mph pitches have taken a toll on his body. Unlikely he ever returns to being the lights out #1 pitcher that he was. What a shame!!
he was the best pitcher on the planet 3 hours ago, there’s a chance he could be next week, and a pretty good chance he will be again
No, he wasn’t, no there isn’t and that’s pretty doubtful.
tell me you’ve never watched a game pitched without telling me..ignore the non-existent FIP and sit there and watch any batter in the game decide if it’s 101 on their hands or 93 with sweeper movement at cutter velocity. on/off the corner in any count. appreciate your take though.
He’s quite obviously the best pitcher in baseball when healthy.
Sandy Alcantara says hi
Best in baseball when healthy? Erasmo Ramirez might have something to say about that.
Can we eliminate the over used “tell me x without telling me x” routine?
Tell me you don’t like the overused routine without telling me you don’t like the overused routine.
Well played Bronx
Thanks, James.
I’ll name an aircraft carrier after you.
He has 30.1 IP after tonight which still places him among the top 30 for IP across the league. If any of guys above him likely skip a start down the road, he’s back up on the very top.
Lol forearm tightness is usually a precursor to significant injury. Better chance deGrom doesn’t pitch again this season than him being in the top 100 in innings pitched
The best ability is availability and Jacob Degrom has NEVER been the “best pitcher” because of this. He’s OFTEN on the shelf, while guys like Gerrit Cole and Sandy Alcantara push through 200+ ip seasons.
greatly exaggerated also. one real injury that cost him big pieces of ’21 and ’22. people acting like he’s been on the shelf every other week of his career are looking for something other than facts to complain about. and of course while out there in ’21 and ’22, probably one of the greatest 150 inning stretches ever recorded
not going to look, but i think you need a couple seasons of roided gagne or peak rivera to find that stretch with a .6 whip. going to throw you strikes, in a super high volume, that you know are coming because i don’t walk people, and you’re still going to whiff on 25% of my pitches. and i’m not going out there for 1 inning, i’m pumping this statistical aberration in the 6th or 7th inning, whatever i want, because i can get there in 80 pitches with 13k’s.
Comparing a closer to a starter makes zero sense.
And I don’t know what point you’re making. I’m guessing none
He wasn’t and isn’t. Hasn’t been since 2021. Yes that was only two years ago but that was also like a half dozen injury scares ago as well. deGrom is a 3.00 ERA guy who may give you 15 starts a year now. That’s probably it.
lol a 3 era guy? he has needed like a 400 babip and 50% strand rate to rocket to a 2.7 era. neither are sustainable. he’s a 6 ip 1 run 11k 1bb guy. a 3 era guy, lol
Regardless, why would anyone sign an injury prone pitcher to 5/185 million?
He’d need to take the ball.
None of that babip, hip, blip or slip means anything, otherwise.
He is neither a 3 ERA guy or whatever it is knolln is trying to say he is. He is a guy that has been on the IL more than the field for the 3rd straight season.
I don’t blame anyone for taking a flier on him. But 5/$185?
In what world would that make sense?
Maybe a 1/43 with an option year for the same. 5/185 was crazy after his last 2 seasons.
Exactly. Who did Texas outbid? Themselves?
What he never learned was how to adjust to his aging arm and body. He has the skill to do it but for some reason still has to throw 100 with 97 sliders. He can be just as effective dropping that down more and dialing up when needed. It’s a shame. Mets fan and huge Degrom fan, I don’t want to see any of this for him. Hall of fame career potentially blocked due to injuries. Hope it’s nothing bad for him here and hope he can learn to adjust.
he has mechanics thats every pitcher in the game is envious of
Except the healthy ones.
Nobody on the Astros who pitches, envies anything about Texas. But keep fantasizing, boss.
Not sure why he needs to dial it down. CC Sabathia didn’t throw as hard but his body couldn’t throw gas anymore and he was getting hit hard. That’s when he made the adjustment to be a finesse pitcher. DeGrom is not there yet as his numbers show.
His numbers show? What numbers? He hasn’t been on the field for four years
2 of those are full years and 2 years with a combined 150 innings pitched as a starter way better and more absurd looking than any reliever. where do people get this stuff?
Yes. But his body is not envious of it at this point in his life.
I truly believe that if CC had conditioned himself better, he could have been another Warren Spahn.
@findingnimmo —I agree with every word you said
Very unlikely he can be “just as effective” knocking several mph off his pitches. As good as his stuff is, the velocity plays a role in his effectiveness.
Still quite effective? Absolutely. But that sort of transition can take time as a once dominant and overpowering pitcher adjusts to a lesser degree of that. And telling a guy who is still as dominant as ever on the mound when healthy to willingly give some of that up isn’t easy.
At least, not yet. Another major injury or two and he may have to reevaluate things.
The real read is who in their right mind signs this man? Why did I feel this was the absolute worst signing this off-season? I guess noise matters more than performance…….
This might end up being the absolute worst free agent deal ever.
And yet Judge is headed in for a MRI….
I want to feel like it’s the worst contract. But all those horrible angels signings make me shake my head. Rondon, josh Hamilton, Vernon wells… Lol
Corbin has that locked up. If the Strasburgb deal had been a FA deal it would win hands down.
Corbin’s deal led to a WS.
Strasburgs deal was a FA deal. It’s the worst ever.
Strasburgs deal is the worst deal of all time
He resigned with the same team. I guess its theoretically a FA deal because he opted out, but since he never negotiated with another team its really just an extension.
Corbin has a 5 ERA since signing that deal and a 6+ ERA the last 3 seasons. He’s going to be paid $60 million this season and next.
At least Strasburg is missing entire seasons so the team can count on insurance money. Corbin is making every start so they have to pay every penny.
Those are both all time worst contacts.
Not even the 2nd worst if he was on the Nats.
Carl Pavano smashes the like button!
Jacob seemed quite glum walking off the mound.
Shocking. This was unexpected.
Rangers, Mets, Padres……
Sorry, money from poor organizations with desperate owners doesn’t buy championships in MLB.
They are in first place without Seager, Garver, and a true LF. Wait until Carter comes up and Seager is back. Deep farm. The Rangers aren’t going anywhere.
“The Rangers aren’t going anywhere.”
Correct.
Here comes Mad Bum !
I highly doubt it.
Play me a dirge Matey! Da Da da da, Dah da da da duh da duh. Or something like that.
He’s a great pitcher but damn that contract is going to be brutal to weather
I’m a deGrom fan, but everytime I start bragging about him a friend reminds me deGrom is still two seasons away from starting as many games as Bob Gibson completed (214 vs 255). Different eras, but 214 career starts vs 255 complete games is staggering. And deGrom will turn 35 this season.
Just for fun, I checked out Gibsons career numbers. In his age 34-36 seasons he threw 294, 245 and 278 IP, respectively. And had 23, 20 and 23 complete games. What’s is the over/under on deGroms number of starts each of the next three seasons? Again, different eras, but I’m blown away by Gibsons durability and availability.
Look at Warren Spahn’s numbers after age 35!
You can say it’s different eras, and you’re correct. I also would submit that the difference is what lost some fans. If I go to watch a guy pitch… Like I did Gibby, Seaver, Ryan, etc… I don’t want to see them replaced by some no-name middle reliever because some analytics dweeb says so!
Texas knew the risks with him. Detroit does have E rod that they can move for someone good. Pitching for Detroit can’t be any fun, and he’s sure to opt out anyways at the end of the year.
Texas is where pitchers come to die. It seems everyone they get their hands on becomes a worse pitcher than what they were. They have to sign all free agent pitchers because they can’t develop their own. The best pitcher they’ve developed in the last 40 years is Kevin Brown and they traded him away.
Texas didn’t trade him but let him walk in free agency.
Texas didn’t trade him but let him go in free agency
Texas didn’t trade him but let him leave in free agency
Martin Perez has pitched very effectively since coming to Texas. Also Heaney is looking decent with a lot more consistency. So Texas is not exactly where pitchers go to die.
That would be NY. Better before and better after.
It’s also a hitters’ park. It badly overinflated Gallo’s numbers.
Ruh Roh!
And yet they still won. The game was gross, man.
Give the Strangers their due. They are getting to know each other.
This is what being made of glass looks like
He’s the very expensive sports car that’s always in the shop.
Im not surprised, MFers!!
Sounds like he might have carpal tunnel.
He blistered his fingers counting his money.
Very predictable, glad the Mets pivoted from signing him and allowed the Rangers to be fleeced by him.
Bc the Mets are doing so well with the guy they’ve replaced him with?
See you in spring training 2025, Jake. Good grief.
April 29: The Rangers don’t yet have an update on deGrom.
They have yet to notify next of kin. Once that happens, we will get official word.
Absolutely shocking!
deGrom got deMoney.
Warren Spahn had a better career after 35 than deGrom has in his entire life.
Pitching versus throwing.
That the initial imaging was not conclusive is a bad sign. It means there is so much inflammation that they could not get a clear shot. DeGrom may be headed to a long time on the IL.
I know the insane(ly stupid) contract that the Rangers signed him to won’t allow it, but maybe he should become a closer? He might be able to hold up better.
I’m not even a Mets fan.
But how anyone can compare deGrom to Tom Seaver baffles me. Tom Terrific was eons better than this guy.
We call a baseball game a “match” now?