What Jacob deGrom’s Injury Means for Rangers Moving Forward

deGrom's scratch could have come at the best time possible, unless the unthinkable happens.

Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) delivers a pitch to the Los Angeles Angels | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The news broke before the series opener commenced between the Texas Rangers and the Houston Astros that the Rangers would not have Jacob deGrom available for his start on Sunday afternoon.

Now, the Rangers already have a quite thin starting rotation, so losing deGrom at all is not ideal no matter how long the tenure, and in a perfect world, this will be the only spot that he misses moving forward as the All-Star Break officially kicks off when the final pitch is thrown Sunday evening.

For now, he won't be looking at an IL stint because they all know that there is a chance that it is the only time away he needs, but a hip and glute strain could also cause some nagging problems depending on how long he stays off of it.

Jacob deGrom is effectively day-to-day, per Skip Schumaker, and they’ll still haven’t decided whether he’ll need an injured list stint. Schumaker said it’s trending in the direction that he *won’t*, but, that could change based on how he responds to treatment today.

— Shawn McFarland (@McFarland_Shawn) July 11, 2026

While this was shared Friday afternoon before the game, the Rangers beat writer, Shawn McFarland, gave more information regarding deGrom's timeline 24 hours later via X:

"Jacob deGrom is effectively day-to-day, per Skip Schumaker, and they still haven’t decided whether he’ll need an injured list stint. Schumaker said it’s trending in the direction that he *won’t*, but that could change based on how he responds to treatment today," stated McFarland.

Sometimes no news is good news, and the fact that it is not a glaring must-be IL stint is very promising.

What’s at Stake in Sunday’s Game

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches against the San Diego Padres in the third inning at Globe Life Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It feels like this is a much bigger series than what is being considered, as it has been a revolving door at the top of the AL West, a place the Rangers finally find themselves No.1 at. But no lead is safe in a division that has a lone team above .500.

So, battling with the Astros allows them to put some real distance between the pair, and after taking Friday night, it is a real shame the deGrom won't be there either to complete a sweep or secure a series.

September is still a way off, but when it comes down to this division, it appears that nobody is going to create much distance, so the Rangers must seize every moment.

What Rotation Looks Like Without deGrom

Jack Leiter was the most recent victim of the dreaded injured list as he needed to have surgery in the final week of June on his ankle. So, the pitching staff is starting to look a little thin, but Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore, and Cal Quantrill have all been solid.

Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) comes off the field after pitching against the Los Angeles Angels | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, the bottom starts to get a little iffy, and they could welcome reinforcements at the time with not a lot of room for error. deGrom might have had a couple of rocky starts, but make no mistake, this team is nearly guaranteed a chance to win each time he takes the hill.

As of now, it is nice that he is considered day-to-day, and hopefully the All-Star Break is all that he needs to get back on the bump.