After Saturday scratch, deGrom (neck) strikes out 7 in 2026 debut

BALTIMORE -- It hasn’t been how Jacob deGrom wanted to start the season.

First, deGrom was scratched from his season debut due to neck stiffness, which was originally scheduled for Saturday in Philadelphia.

When he finally made it to the mound on Tuesday night in Baltimore, it could have gone a bit better. deGrom allowed three runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings against the Orioles, with his night ending after a two-run double from Gunnar Henderson tied the game back up at 3. He struck out seven Orioles and did not walk a batter.

deGrom was on cruise control for the early part of his night, with his only blemish being a solo homer from his former Mets teammate Pete Alonso. The string of two-out hits in the fifth ultimately spoiled his final line.

The Rangers’ re-shaped offense picked him up, with a run in the sixth, a three-run homer from Danny Jansen in the seventh and a Corey Seager solo shot in the ninth to power Texas to an 8-5 victory and a series win in Baltimore.

This was deGrom's first start in which he didn't get a win in an outing against the Orioles, as he was 5-0 in five starts against them with a 1.34 ERA in 33 2/3 innings before Tuesday's start. All five of those outings against Baltimore were quality starts.

deGrom is entering his fourth year with the Rangers, though he was down for much of 2023-24 due to his second Tommy John surgery. In his return to the mound last season, he was an All-Star, posting a 2.97 ERA in 172 2/3 innings while making 30 starts for the first time since his second National League Cy Young Award-winning season with the Mets in 2019.