deGrom (right triceps fatigue) exits start vs. Angels
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ANAHEIM -- A night that was supposed to be about history for Rangers righty Jacob deGrom quickly became a very different story -- one that the veteran is unfortunately all too familiar with.
The 38-year-old exited Thursday’s series finale against the Angels after two innings with right triceps fatigue, Texas announced. deGrom, who entered the night five strikeouts away from 2,000 for his career, had given up two runs on six hits with one walk and three punchouts. He threw 53 total pitches, 35 for strikes.
The five hits deGrom surrendered in the second inning were his most in a single inning since he gave up six hits in the fourth against the Phillies on Sept. 5, 2017, as a member of the Mets. He threw 32 pitches in the second on Thursday, tied for second most in any inning this season -- his most were 34 in the first inning on May 22, also in Anaheim.
deGrom’s early exit comes just three days after the Rangers placed fellow veteran right-hander Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list with right posterior elbow inflammation. Texas is also without Jack Leiter, who has been sidelined since late June due to ankle surgery. Leiter, who is eligible to come off the 60-day IL on Aug. 18, made his first Triple-A rehab start on Thursday.
While the Rangers’ pitching depth is certainly being tested, they did recently welcome the return of both Jordan Montgomery -- who provided two innings on Thursday -- and Cody Bradford, who was solid in seven innings on Tuesday. Cal Quantrill, who started Wednesday in place of Eovaldi, is also a reliable rotation option. If deGrom has to miss time, it appears probable that Montgomery would slot into his spot in the rotation, at least initially, pending Leiter’s rehab timeline.
The Angels have long given deGrom trouble -- he entered Thursday 1-3 with a 4.98 ERA in seven career starts versus the Halos. His ERA at Angel Stadium was 7.79 through four starts before this outing.
If there’s a silver lining, deGrom’s velocity was far from a concern. He maxed out at 99 mph while throwing all five of his pitches at a higher clip than his season average, per Statcast. He generated 10 whiffs.
deGrom has been nursing a hip/glute injury that forced him to skip his final start of the first half. He has not gone on the injured list since missing almost all of 2023 and ‘24 after undergoing right elbow surgery. He has previously dealt with elbow, shoulder and forearm injuries, but this is his first triceps issue.