Texas Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom Plans to Make Next Start

Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom plans to be back on the mound for his next start, despite leaving Monday’s outing early due to a wrist injury.

The right-hander, who left before the fifth inning on the 4-0 series-opening win at the Kansas City Royals, said he woke up Tuesday and the soreness that led to his departure had subsided.

“I fully anticipate making my next start,” deGrom said, according to MLB.com.

His next turn in the rotation would come Sunday in the series finale with the Oakland Athletics.

Monday’s start appeared normal for observers, as a dominate deGrom breezed through four hitless innings. He struck out five and threw 58 pitches, 39 for strikes.

But the soreness in his right wrist, which he felt during pregame warmups, continued to tighten as the game wore on. It never loosened, so deGrom and the Rangers decided to take the “smart” approach and end his night.

The club, which invested $185 million into deGrom this offseason to anchor the rotation, wants to make sure he is healthy for the long haul. deGrom has also gone on the injured list several times over the last few seasons with the New York Mets.

Proceeding with caution Monday made sense to all parties.

“We don’t know how he’s going to feel [Wednesday], but right now it’s all positive and he’s positive on where he is with that arm,” manager Bruce Bochy said, according to MLB.com. “So, that’s good news. The next couple of days, we’ll see where we are.”

The Rangers and Royals had the middle game of a three-game set Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

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