Texas Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Jacob deGrom will undergo UCL surgery on his right elbow, ending his first season with the Texas Rangers prematurely and further casting doubt on the future trajectory of his career.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner is expected to go under the knife in next week. The recovery time is expected to be 12-15 months.
The Rangers aren’t terming the surgery as Tommy John. Additional testing done Monday night after deGrom was moved to the 60-day disabled list revealed the ligament damage and the decision was made, along with team doctor Keith Meister, to have surgery.
“It’s obviously a tough blow for Jacob for certainly the Rangers, but we do feel this is what is right for Jacob and his career,” general manager Chris Young said. “We’re confident we’ll make a full recovery and it’s unfortunate, the way things have gone but nonetheless, we now have clarity and can move forward and prepare to have a healthy Jacob deGrom. Hopefully sometime by the end of next season, but no promises on the timetable.”
Young admitted that deGrom’s rehab has gone “backward” since he went on the injured list in late April with right elbow inflammation. He’s thrown several bullpen sessions since that appeared to show progress, but apparently things turned for the worse.
“We’ve gone backwards in terms of there is now structural damage and it is significant as compared to what we saw originally, where there was inflammation and Keith has recommended that we fix this,” Young said. “Jacob feels the same and we do as well.”
The season ends for deGrom making just six starts. He was stellar in those outings, sporting a 2.67 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. The Rangers were also undefeated in his six starts.
Young and the Rangers were aware deGrom’s injury history with the New York Mets before agreeing to $185 million contract for five years in December. While it’s obviously a blow to the club, Young said knowing the next steps is a relief.
“I’m glad we have clarity,” Young said. “I think for everybody being in the dark and not understanding exactly what is going on. What the cause is. We have clarity, we have a course of action. We have a plan.
“And we’re gonna attack it and Jacobs committed to it. We’ve got a great medical team and we’re excited to get him back to full strength and form in due time.”
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