Another Former Cy Young Award Winner Will Rehab Against Dodgers’ Triple-A Team

The OKC Dodgers have faced some of the game's best pitchers this season.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Dodgers will go up against former Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom on Tuesday. It's his second rehab start for the Frisco RoughRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.

OKC will be deGrom's opponent Tuesday night in Round Rock.

Incredibly, deGrom will be the fourth multiple Cy Young Award winner to pitch in a game involving OKC this season, joining Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Blake Snell. https://t.co/DUM8YgaVsh

— Alex Freedman (@azfreedman) August 25, 2024

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate is kicking off a weeklong series in Round Rock, Texas. DeGrom is eyeing a September return following Tommy John surgery.

DeGrom previously made a rehab start for the Rangers' Double-A affiliate on Aug. 22, giving up two hits, one earned run, and striking out three in two innings pitched.

DeGrom has not played in a major league game since April 28, 2013. He was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament afterward. When he was briefly healthy after signing a five-year contract with the Rangers, deGrom made six starts and went 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA and 45 strikeouts.

The 36-year-old veteran has been one of MLB's best pitchers when healthy. He is a four-time MLB All-Star and the two-time winner of the Cy Young award. DeGrom additionally led MLB in ERA in 2018 with a 1.70 ERA, and has also led MLB in strikeouts in 2019 and 2020.

Staying on the field has been a struggle for deGrom though. He has not started more than 15 games in a season since 2019. He started at least 30 games in four of five seasons from 2015-19 before the COVID-19 pandemic and injuries limited him in 2020. He dealt with elbow inflammation in 2021, a stress fracture in his right scapula in 2022, and then a torn UCL last year.

DeGrom is now the third former Cy Young Award winner who has faced the OKC Dodgers for a rehab start this season. Former Dodgers pitcher and current Ranger Max Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, faced Oklahoma City on June 9.

In that game, Scherzer gave up one hit, no earned runs, and struck out five in four innings. He has gone on to the Rangers, starting eight games for the team across June and July and posting a 3.89 ERA for that time.

San Francisco Giants and two-time Cy Young Award Blake Snell winner also went up against Oklahoma City in a rehab start this year as well. He made his rehab start against OKC on May 17, giving up one hits, no earned runs, and striking out 10 in five innings. With the Giants, Snell is 2-3 with a 3.76 ERA this season.

Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, made two rehab starts for Oklahoma City himself before returning to the Dodgers in July.