Jacob deGrom Throws First Time With Rangers
Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom threw for the first time at Spring Training in Surprise on Sunday.
Throwing, in this case, was long toss with teammates in the outfield. deGrom did not pitch from a mound or throw a full bullpen session.
He did tell reporters after the session that he felt good. But there’s no official timetable for him to get on a mound for the first time in Surprise.
deGrom’s workout lined up with what Rangers general manager Chris Young said on Saturday. If deGrom threw, it would likely be a chance to get the veteran’s arm moving.
deGrom reported to Surprise on Tuesday and began experiencing some left side tightness, leading the Rangers to hold him out of the first workout for pitchers and catchers on Wednesday. Due to colder weather that day, the Rangers curtailed the entire session for pitchers and catchers.
Since then, deGrom’s status has been a daily question. The Rangers have made it clear they’re simply exercising caution. deGrom said on Thursday that if this were the regular season he would be pitching.
But, given the overall investment in deGrom, caution has been the watch word all week.
“When I got here, they just said, ‘Hey, let's take a couple days and knock this all the way out,” deGrom said.
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 over the age of 30.
deGrom has also pitched truncated seasons each of the last three seasons, though the 2020 season was truncated 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.
Last year he went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts with the Mets. 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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