Inside The Dodgers

Third Former Cy Young Award Winner Dominates Dodgers’ Triple-A Team

Maren Angus-Coombs|
NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City has faced a tough season against top-tier pitchers. Tuesday in Round Rock, Texas, they went up against a former Cy Young Award winner for the third time this season.

Jacob deGrom made his second minor league rehab start at Dell Diamond. He did not allow a baserunner in two innings, striking out two.

On Wednesday night, the 36-year-old deGrom made his first competitive appearance since undergoing season-ending elbow surgery last year. Pitching for Double-A Frisco, he allowed one run on two hits over two innings against San Antonio, striking out three batters and reaching 99 mph with his first pitch.

Oklahoma City got the last laugh Tuesday.

After deGrom was removed from the game, OKC exploded for 11 runs over the final six innings. Six of the runs were unearned, a result of two fielding errors by Round Rock.

The offensive outburst left several Dodgers with gaudy batting lines.

Andy Pages, Kody Hoese and Dalton Rushing went 3 for 5. Andre Lipcius went 2 for 5 with three RBIs. Rushing hit two home runs; Lipcius and Hoese hit one each.

DeGrom signed with the Rangers as a free agent in Dec. 2022 after spending parts of nine seasons with the New York Mets. He hit the injured list for the first time with Texas on April 29, 2023.

During his nine seasons with the Mets, deGrom was one of baseball's most dominant pitchers. However, his first season with the Rangers was cut short by a torn ulnar collateral ligament early last year. Before the injury, he made six starts, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.67 ERA and 45 strikeouts over 30.1 innings. Notably, the Rangers won all six of his starts.

DeGrom is anxious to get back on the mound for the Rangers even if they are 10.5 games out of first place in the American League West and don't make the playoffs. If his rehab stays on track, he could return to the major leagues by mid-September.

“If I don’t get out there, it’s going to feel like I’ve been rehabbing for this entire time, through a year and a half or whatever it's been,” deGrom said.

Oklahoma City will exact a bit of revenge Wednesday. Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is scheduled to make a rehab start of his own.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State and has been a sports writer since 2008. Despite growing up in the South, her sports obsession has always been in Los Angeles. She is currently a staff writer at the LA Sports Report Network.

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