Decision on Jacob deGrom Rangers Spring Training Mound Debut

The Texas Rangers are ready to take the next step with their ace, who was signed in the offseason for $185 million.

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom will throw his first bullpen session on Thursday, according to manager Bruce Bochy.

This will come more than a week after deGrom reported to Spring Training and one day before the Rangers are scheduled to play their first game against Kansas City on Friday.

Bochy said he is not worried that deGrom has not pitched a bullpen session to this point.

deGrom reported to Surprise on Feb. 14 and told the Rangers that he was experiencing left side tightness. From there the Rangers decided to let deGrom rest for a few days.

Since then, deGrom has thrown long toss at least twice this week, ramping up to the chance to throw a bullpen.

deGrom said if this were the regular season he would be pitching. He also told reporters that he threw six sessions from a mound in the offseason.

The Rangers have planned to have all pitchers throw at least two live batting practices this week before getting into a Spring Training game. Bochy said the Rangers want deGrom to pitch at least one additional live batting practice before a game.

So it’s not clear when deGrom would make his debut in a Spring Training game.

The Rangers signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in the offseason, the largest contract they’ve ever awarded a pitcher. At 35, he’s one of six projected starters that is over the age of 30.

deGrom has also pitched truncated seasons each of the last three seasons, though the 2020 season was shortened due to COVID-19.

deGrom missed half of the 2021 season due to right elbow inflammation. He missed the first half of last season with a stress reaction in his right scapula.

He went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts with the New York Mets last year. In 2021 he went 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA, earned an All-Star Game berth and was ninth in Cy Young voting despite the injury.

Before that deGrom was highly durable. He made 30 or more starts in four of his first six seasons in the Majors, with his 2018 and 2019 seasons both leading to National League Cy Young awards. In 2018 he led the Majors with a 1.70 ERA, followed by a a 2.43 ERA in 2019.

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