Jacob deGrom Out to Start Rangers Spring Training

The Texas Rangers' high-dollar acquisition will miss a couple of days as a precaution due to left side tightness.

Jacob deGrom will reportedly rest for the first couple of days of Spring Training after experiencing tightness in his side during a bullpen session a couple of days ago.

Per multiple reports, Rangers general manager Chris Young made the decision to hold him out of workouts, citing the colder-than-usual weather in Arizona and the field conditions.

The Rangers cited it as precautionary.

deGrom and the Rangers agreed to a five-year, $185 million deal in the offseason. It’s the largest contract the Rangers have given to a pitcher. It’s also the first time Texas signed a former Cy Young award winner in free agency.

deGrom has pitched truncated seasons each of the last three years after a relatively durable start to his career. COVID-19 truncated 2020. In 2021, it was because deGrom spent the second half of the season on the 60-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. Despite that he went 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA, earned an All-Star Game berth and was ninth in Cy Young voting.

Last year he went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts with the Mets, but only played two months due to 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.

Three other pitchers on the Spring Training roster won’t be available to begin camp. Brett Martin is recovering from surgery is still in Arlington rehabilitating the injury. Kyle Funkhouser and Danny Duffy are on delayed schedules due to injuries last year.

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