Texas Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom Turns Corner in Recovery
ARLINGTON, Texas — Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom struck an optimistic tone after he threw his latest bullpen session Friday at Globe Life Field.
The two-time Cy Young winner threw 25 pitches and said he had “turned a corner” in his recovery from right elbow inflammation before signing autographs for a large group of fans and season ticket holders behind the batting cage.
The Rangers (27-17) won 7-2 over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
deGrom pitched a light bullpen session Tuesday. That was his first time throwing off the mound since being injured.
If the Rangers are following that cadence, deGrom could throw his next bullpen on Monday when the Rangers start their nine-game road trip at the Pittsburgh Pirates. deGrom said he is hoping for a longer bullpen session that could feature an up/down to emulate sitting for a half-inning.
The Rangers have not put a public timeline on deGrom’s return.
Friday’s bullpen session was the second instance of deGrom throwing off the mound since being hurt. He started his rehab with some light throwing on the club’s recent west coast road trip.
Earlier this week, Rangers general manager Chris Young said the team did have a target date in mind for deGrom’s return, but weren’t ready to reveal it because they’re using this homestand as a chance to evaluate his rehab.
The Rangers aren’t looking to push deGrom, in part because of the depth on their pitching staff at the moment. Dane Dunning has stepped into deGrom’s spot in the rotation and provided three solid starts and has won his last two starts.
deGrom went on the 15-day injured list on April 29 after leaving his last start against the New York Yankees. The MRI exam the following day revealed right elbow inflammation. He is eligible to be activated when ready.
The Rangers and Rockies play the second game of the series Saturday at 3:05 p.m. Jon Gray (3-1, 3.15) starts for Texas, with Kyle Freeland (4-4, 3.16) going for Colorado.
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