The Texas Rangers are struggling as of late. They have now lost three consecutive games and are two games below the .500 mark. They ended up losing three out of four games to the Los Angeles Angels.
Things took a turn for the worse on Thursday night. Jacob deGrom drew the start with the Rangers hoping to stop the bleeding. However, not only did the Rangers lose 7-0 to the Halos, but deGrom exited the game early with right triceps fatigue.
He allowed two runs on six hits over two innings of work. Manager Skip Schumaker explained why he pulled deGrom after just two innings.
“I wasn’t going to risk it once I heard the tricep,” Schumaker said after the game.
Jacob deGrom Exits Start vs. Los Angeles Angels
deGrom ultimately took the loss as the Rangers fell 7-0 to the Angels. He is now 8-8 with a 3.95 ERA. This could prove to be a major blow for the Rangers.
They already are without Nathan Eovaldi, so losing deGrom for any amount of time could put a damper on their playoff hopes. They are fortunate that the American League West is as weak as it is. They are only two games back of the Houston Astros and just a half-game back of the Detroit Tigers for the third wild card spot.
But even with the American League as weak as it has been this year, any time without deGrom could be a huge blow for this team. They’ll need him healthy if they are going to make a push towards the postseason and stay in the race.
deGrom does have a history of injuries. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023 and was unavailable for their World Series run. While the most recent injury may not seem like much on the surface, it is much more impactful than meets the eye.
Depending on the severity of the injury, the Rangers may be without deGrom for an extended period of time, and that could potentially spell the end of his season. Without their two aces, Texas is going to have a tough time reaching the playoffs and making a run.
Fortunately for Texas, deGrom doesn’t seem to be too worried about the issue.
“I’m not too concerned,” the right-hander said after the game. “Hopefully I’ll make my next [start], we’ll see. Tonight, it just — there in the second it was tight and just didn’t want to loosen up. I haven’t really had that before.”
Jacob deGrom Set for Imaging on Friday
deGrom will go for imaging on his injury on Friday to determine the severity. Depending on that, the Rangers may be without deGrom for some time.
If it’s not as bad though, he could still potentially avoid the injured list, but it certainly is not a good sign that he was forced to exit the game against the Angels.
It will be interesting to see what the imaging reveals and if the former Cy Young winner will have to miss any time. Texas needs him healthy if they are to reach the playoffs.
Rangers’ Jacob deGrom Exits Start With Potential Arm Injury