Jacob deGrom’s Latest Injury Means Rangers May Face Breaking Point

The Texas Rangers went to Anaheim with high hopes that they could win a four-game series and perhaps vault over the Houston Astros in the American League West.

Instead, they head to West Sacramento to face the Athletics having lost three out of four games and facing the prospect of having to put Jacob deGrom on the injured list.

deGrom left Thursday’s start against the Angels after two innings due to what the Rangers called right tricep fatigue. deGrom has been pitching through a hip and glute issue since July.

This is an altogether different animal. Because it's his throwing arm the Rangers were extra cautious, which is why they pulled him after two innings after he had already struggled through 53 pitches.

“I wasn’t going to risk it once I heard the tricep,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said to reporters after the game, including Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required).

The Perilous State of the Rangers Rotation

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom throws a baseball during a game. — Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom. Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's possible deGrom could make his next start, which would come on Wednesday in Arlington. Texas may need it to. Nathan Eovladi went on the injured list on Monday with an elbow issue. Jack Leiter just began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Round Rock as he recovers from ankle surgery. The Rangers are already down two starters and can ill afford to be down a third, especially deGrom.

Texas may have no choice. If the Rangers do place him on the injured list the move will likely happen quickly. Why? The Rangers need pitching. Texas used five relievers in Thursday's game, and they'll likely need a fresh arm for this series against the Athletics. If he truly needs more time than five days to recover, moving him to the IL now makes sense.

But it also means the Rangers need coverage for his spot and the coverage is perilously thin. It's interesting that Jordan Montgomery pitched on Thursday. The left-handed starter was moved to the bullpen in the short term for just this situation. Montgomery threw two innings on Thursday and if the Rangers didn't use them again on the road trip he could take deGrom's turn in the rotation.

The problem is that Montgomery hasn't pitched well in his two relief appearances. On Thursday he gave up six hits and four runs in two innings as he struck out two and walked none. He now has a 10.50 ERA in his two relief appearances. Being able to take the start is one thing. But Montgomery hasn't conclusively proven he can be effective.

The Rangers could also turn to Leiter, though he's not stretched out for a full start. He threw 48 pitches in his rehab game at Round Rock on Thursday and if the goal is to stretch him out as a starter before activation he needs two more turns.

But, president of baseball operations Chris Young posed the possibility that Leiter could be moved up faster in a relief role. Texas has gotten creative with its rotation a couple of times this year using Tyler Alexander as an opener for Kumar Rocker. The Rangers could do something similar with Leiter, using Alexander as an opener for an inning or two and then handing the ball to Leiter, who by that point could get them anywhere from 50 to 60 pitches. But Texas may not feel comfortable with that given their investment in Leiter’s future.

Any way it's approached the timing is awful. The Rangers are now two games back at the Houston Astros and the AL West and have lost the final wild card berth to the Detroit Tigers.

The Rangers have a few days to figure out what to do with deGrom and to give them time to recover. But if Texas moves into the injured list, their options are scant. In a playoff race where the margins are small, an injury like this can make the margins nothing.

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