Jacob deGrom Scratched From Season-Opening Start Against Phillies

The Texas Rangers were set to start their highest-paid pitcher against a franchise he’s quite familiar with on Saturday.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Jacob deGrom was supposed to make his 2026 season debut on Saturday for the Texas Rangers. Now he's being pushed back.

The Rangers announced that the right-hander was scratched due to neck stiffness and will be replaced by Jacob Latz. Temperatures for Saturday's game, set for 3:05 p.m., are expected to be in the 40s and Texas may not have wanted to risk worsening the issue. The Rangers did not disclose how it happened or the right-hander's status for his next start.

deGrom spent the first nine years of his career with the New York Mets, which meant annual matchups against the Philadelphia Phillies (1-0), who won the season opener with the Rangers (0-1) on Thursday.

Philadelphia is probably thrilled to see it won't be facing its old nemesis. deGrom was supposed to make his first start at Citizens Bank Park since 2021, where in nine starts he is 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA.

deGrom is 9-2 with a 2.55 ERA against the Phillies for his career, with a 10.43 strikeout rate per nine innings. Philadelphia saw plenty of prime deGrom, as he won the National League rookie of the year, two NL Cy Youngs and four NL All-Star berths while with the franchise.

The Mets and Rangers are 17-5 in deGrom’s 22 career starts against the Phils. That included last year’s showdown in Arlington on Aug. 9.

The Phillies shut down the Rangers for eight innings on Thursday before Texas scored three runs in the ninth inning of their 5-3 defeat. Manager Skip Schumaker hopes that’s a spark to get the offense going on Saturday.

Here is everything to get fans ready for Saturday’s game.

Texas Rangers Lineup vs. Phillies

Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

RF Brandon Nimmo (L)

LF Wyatt Langford

SS Corey Seager (L)

1B Jake Burger

DH Joc Pederson (L)

2B Josh Smith (L)

3B Josh Jung

CF Evan Carter (L)

C Danny Jansen

Pitching Matchup

Rangers LHP Jacob Latz (2-0, 2.84 in 2025) vs. Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (5-10, 6.01 ERA in 2025)

Latz was a terrific swing starter for the Rangers last season, as he assumed a spot in the rotation in June for an injured Tyler Mahle and provided some strength to the back of the rotation. He lost the fifth starter job in spring training to Kumar Rocker. But he's the Rangers' best left-handed option out of the bullpen and their back-up left-handed starter when needed. He last pitched more than a week ago in Arizona.

Nola missed time last year with an injury, which explains his upside-down record and his high ERA, his worst of his career. The Phillies are counting on a bounce back season from him. Philadelphia has him under contract through the 2030 season, the result of a seven-year, $172 million deal he signed before the 2024 season.

Today’s Game

Time: 3:05 p.m. CT

Where: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

Records: Texas, 0-1; Philadelphia, 1-0

TV: Rangers Sports Network. Game can be streamed on Victory+

Radio: KRLD 1080, KFLC 1270

Remaining Pitching Matchups for Series

Sunday: Rangers LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. Phillies LHP Jesús Luzardo

Rangers Injuries

10-Day Injured List: INF Cody Freeman (lumbar stress reaction); 15-Day Injured List: LHP Cody Bradford (left UCL surgery); 60-Day Injured List: LHP Jordan Montgomery (Tommy John surgery)