Jacob deGrom’s return to the AL West-leading Texas Rangers was delayed until at least the end of June after the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner was transferred to the roster. injured 60 days on Monday.
DeGrom hasn’t pitched since April 28, when he left early with injury problems for the second time in a span of three starts. He was placed on 15-day IL the next day after an MRI showed swelling in his right elbow.
General manager Chris Young said deGrom «hasn’t gotten better maybe as quickly as we’d hoped» after five bullpen sessions since going on the disabled list. Another MRI and additional tests are now planned for the 34-year-old right-hander who the Rangers signed to a five-year, $185 million contract last December.
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Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers throws against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning at Globe Life Field on April 28, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The transfer to the 60-day disabled list makes June 28 the earliest he could be activated.
«We don’t see anything before that as a possibility,» Young said. «We want to make sure we proceed with caution.»
DeGrom returned to the team Monday after returning home to Florida for the birth of her third child. He flew there after a bullpen session Wednesday at Detroit, which was his fifth since he went on the disabled list.
Young said deGrom has dealt with some pain during those sessions.
«There have been good days and bad days, as with most recoveries,» Young said. «I don’t know specifically how he felt in the bullpen (in Detroit). I heard the ball was going well…Honestly, he’s going through a life time at home and this is one we don’t call control.» every hour to see how he was doing.
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Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom shakes hands with manager Bruce Bochy, right, after working out against the Kansas City Royals during the seventh inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 11, 2023. in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Rangers signed deGrom in free agency after having played his first nine major league seasons with the Mets. He was limited by injuries to 156 1/3 innings in 26 starts in his last two years in New York.
He posted a career-low 1.08 ERA in 92 innings during the 2021 season before missing the final three months with a strained right forearm and sprained elbow. He didn’t make his first major league start last year until Aug. 2 after being sidelined late in spring training with a stress reaction in his right scapula.
Texas won all six games started by deGrom (2-0), but the right-hander pitched just 30 1/3 innings. He has a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts and four walks. He pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees on April 28 before leaving that game with arm discomfort.
«I think he’s the best in the world when he’s pitching…He’s captivating when he’s on the mound,» Young said. «But the decision to bring him here was a five-year decision, and we’re taking that into account in terms of how we proceed here.»
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws a pitch to the Oakland Athletics during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, April 23, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jim Cowsert)
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DeGrom was not in the clubhouse before the series opener against St. Louis, which was before the Rangers announced their status change.
«He’s very happy for the team and the way we’ve played. But he wants to be a part of it. He wants to be out there,» said Young, a former major league pitcher. «I’ve been in his shoes, so I understand how it works. And you want to push to be there, but you don’t want to push at the risk of making things worse or having setbacks or something.»
deGrom’s transfer to the 60-day disabled list opened up a spot on the Rangers’ 40-man roster to activate Spencer Howard from the 60-day disabled list. Howard missed the first 58 games with a right-back strain.