2 min read • April 29, 2023
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Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom left a start for the second time in three outings, this time with a much more ominous symptom.
On Friday, the 34-year-old exited with right forearm soreness two outs in the fourth inning after throwing a slider that didn’t have much action. His previous pitch was a fastball with a slight decrease in velocity (96.6 mph).
On Saturday, he was placed on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation.
This latest exit is the latest issue in the kinetic chain for deGrom and the team will likely be cautious with his return. Expect him to be out well beyond the minimum 15 days.
This is not the first time deGrom has exited a contest with right forearm tightness. The last time came in July 2021 and effectively ended his season.
The Mets placed him on the 10-day IL with that injury, but he did not return the remainder of the season and it was eventually revealed he was dealing with a sprain in his UCL.
That sprain was said to have healed on its own, with deGrom and team president Sandy Alderson saying the ligament was perfectly intact on MRI.
Before signing his 5-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers this offseason, deGrom undoubtedly underwent rigorous medical testing to be cleared.
If he still had lingering UCL issues, they likely would have popped up during that testing.
That medical testing is what led to the Giants and Mets not signing Carlos Correa this offseason before he landed back with the Twins.
deGrom also missed time last season with a stress reaction in his right scapula (at the back of the shoulder). At the time, the Pro Baseball Docs detailed why that issue may have stemmed from a slight change in his rotation to account for his past elbow issues.
deGrom had Tommy John surgery in 2010 before making his major league debut in 2014. Let’s all hope this latest injury doesn’t necessitate a second Tommy John procedure.
The Rangers (15-11) are in first place in the AL West but currently have the 15th best odds to win the World Series at +3500, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Texas is +550 to win the division, behind the Angels at +500 and the Astros at -170.
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