Injuries continue to plague Texas Rangers starter Jacob deGrom, with the latest knocking him unconscious for the remainder of the 2023 season.
According to the Dallas Morning News, deGrom, who was placed on the 60-day disabled list Monday, needs elbow surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow.
It is unknown if deGrom will require traditional Tommy John surgery or if he will have an internal brace. The Dallas Morning News said Dr. Keith Meister, who will perform the surgery, won’t know the extent of the injury until deGrom is under surgery.
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Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during a game against the New York Yankees at Globe Life Field on April 28, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)
Either way, deGrom will miss at least a full year, so the 2024 season will be affected as well.
The 35-year-old man, unsurprisingly, was upset by the diagnosis.
«This sucks,» deGrom said, via The Dallas Morning News. «It’s not ideal. But at least we know what it is now. I want to fix it and I’ll set a goal to be back before the end of next year.»
JACOB DEGROM’S INJURY PROBLEMS CONTINUE AFTER ENTERING A $185 MILLION SETTLEMENT
DeGrom previously underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2010 when he was a minor league prospect with the New York Mets. But he’s had a long list of injuries since then, which has impacted his career, which is still pretty impressive.
DeGrom has won two Cy Young Awards during his 10 years in MLB, both of which came during his time with the Mets. The first was in 2018 when he posted a league-best 1.70 ERA in 217 innings, and set a new precedent for the criteria to win the award, as he did not have a good win-loss record at 10-9. because of the Mets. ‘apparent inability to score runs when he was on the mound.
He also championed the hardware in 2019, posting a 2.43 ERA in 204 innings, while leading the MLB in strikeouts with 255.
Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers throws a pitch during a game against the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Field on April 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)
DeGrom is a four-time All-Star, his first time coming in 2015 and last during the 2021 campaign, posting a career 2.53 ERA in 1,356.1 innings with 1,652 strikeouts in 215 starts.
There’s no question that when deGrom is on the mound, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball, but his injuries haven’t allowed for consistent starts over the years.
After posting at least 31 starts from 2017-2019, DeGrom has just 44 total starts over the past four seasons. He dealt with hip, back, neck and hamstring problems during the abbreviated season of COVID-19 in 2020.
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He also had ongoing forearm strain in his throwing arm that the Mets’ Sandy Alderson later revealed to be a partial UCL tear, which did not require surgery but ended his season in early July. DeGrom was not happy when that information came out.
Last season, deGrom was dealing with a shoulder injury that allowed him only 11 starts, as he continued to suffer setbacks in his rehab.
Jacob deGrom #48 of the Texas Rangers returns to the dugout after his 11th strikeout to end the inning during a game against the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Field on April 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)
Still, for all the injury history, the Rangers took a chance signing him to a five-year, $185 million deal because not only did they need pitching, but he’s one of the best in the game when healthy. He had a 2.67 ERA in six starts with them before suffering his current ailment.
Now, the Rangers will remain hopeful that deGrom, who turns 37 next June, will still have what it takes to compete at the highest level.
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Meanwhile, the Rangers really don’t seem fazed with deGrom out of the rotation. They own a 39-20 record, which is good for the top spot in the AL West right now.