OPINION: Health, Durability Remain a Concern for Rangers' Jacob deGrom

Texas Rangers starting pitcher and two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom was held back from baseball activities Wednesday and will not pitch for a couple days, after experiencing tightness during a bullpen session earlier this week.

Pitchers and catchers began reporting to spring training Wednesday. After feeling tightness in his bullpen session earlier this week, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom is being held back from baseball activities for 'a day or two', Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters Wednesday.

Now I know what you're thinking: "It's too early to worry about deGrom. This is just a minor setback." That might be true, but deGrom's health and durability were concerns before he signed his five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers in December.

DeGrom has not made more than 15 starts in a single season since 2019. He has not pitched more than 92 innings in a season since then, either.

Elbow problems put a sudden end to deGrom's fabulous 2021 campaign, in which he logged a 1.08 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 373 ERA+ in 15 starts. The then-Mets ace hit the Injured List in July, and did not pitch again until August 2022.

A stress reaction and stress fracture in his right scapula delayed the start of deGrom's 2022 season. DeGrom was once again sensational in his first seven starts, posting a 1.66 ERA in 43.1 innings. Over his final four starts of the regular season, however, deGrom struggled, clocking a 6.00 ERA and allowing 14 earned runs in 21 innings.

DeGrom's time with the Rangers is not off to a great start, but it's too early to panic. We aren't panicking here. However, concerns about his durability and health will linger until he puts them to rest, which he will have a chance to do on a new team in a new division in 2023.

The Rangers, the biggest spenders in the American League West during the offseason, are on a mad dash to catch the World Series-champion Houston Astros. They were 68-94 last year and they finished a whopping 38 games behind the Astros. Houston is the heavy favorite to win again at minus-200, the largest odds of any projected division winner. Texas is at plus-1000. 

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