Jacob deGrom Could Start Rehab Assignment Next Week, Where Will Texas Rangers Ace Be Pitching?
![May 22, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) looks on before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports May 22, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) looks on before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3434,h_1931,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_rangers/01j5532kgtnppcrrscvp.jpg)
Jacob deGrom could be on a minor league rehab assignment as soon as next week.
Although it might be too late for the two-time Cy Young winner to lead the Texas Rangers back to the postseason, his return remains of great importance for the team's future.
deGrom threw to batters for the second time before Monday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. deGrom threw about 40 pitches to Ezequiel Duran and Travis Jankowski, according to manager Bruce Bochy, who told reporters everything went well.
“I felt really good. The main thing is just now dialing in the off-speed stuff," deGrom told MLB.com. "My changeup was good, but my slider was a little bit inconsistent. It's going to be about trying not to do too much when a batter steps in. But everything felt good, the location, honestly everything. My first inning, I thought, was really good. Then the second one, I wasn't locating at all, so that's the next step. Just lock everything in and go from there.”
Jankowski wasn't as stingy with his review of deGrom's stuff.
Jacob deGrom was throwing live BP earlier today.
— MLB (@MLB) August 13, 2024
His first pitch? 99 MPH 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3qnz16bnwB
"Nasty. I think he looked like a two-time Cy Young Award winner, one-time ERA leader," Jankowski told MLB.com. "That's why he is where he is, right? Not easy to pick up, ball gets on you really quick, and he's really, really good."
deGrom will face hitters in another live batting practice session on Friday in Arlington when the club is hosting the Minnesota Twins beginning Thursday night at Globe Life Field. The club will then decide where deGrom starts his rehab.
Triple-A Round Rock is on the road at Salt Lake from Aug. 20-25. Double-A Frisco, however, hosts San Antonio from Aug. 20-25. deGrom is likely to make his first rehab start of a couple of innings in Frisco, perhaps on Aug. 22, and make a second rehab start on Aug. 27 or 28 when the Express host Oklahoma City in Round Rock.
deGrom is likely to need four or five rehab starts with increasing pitch counts before being an option for the Rangers roster. If he stays on schedule, that's likely to be in early September.
Tyler Mahle, who had Tommy John surgery two weeks before deGrom in 2023, has been outstanding in his first two starts since returning to the Rangers. He's 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA and nine strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.
Enjoy 45 seconds of Jacob deGrom facing hitters at Fenway Park. pic.twitter.com/WDFS6lyNGT
— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) August 12, 2024
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