The Rangers took a chance signing Jacob deGrom this offseason given his injury history. Now he’s already missing action in spring training.
When you’ve signed an injury-prone pitcher up to a five-year, $185 million, nerves over his injury status are going to be a reality.
The Rangers lured Jacob deGrom away from the Mets with that kind of money in hopes they’d get his best on the mound. Now they have to live with the constant injury watch and panic over every little bump and bruise.
It doesn’t help that the injury narrative is already being fed, particularly by the New York Media, as spring training begins.
deGrom hasn’t worked out with the team at spring training yet, missing the first few days of action. And fans shouldn’t expect for him to pitch over the weekend either, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, while continuing to with some soreness on his left side.
Jacob deGrom injury update isn’t easing Rangers fans’ concerns
deGrom had to fight through a slew of injuries that always seemed to linger during his final seasons with the Mets. He played just 11 games in 2022 after playing 15 in 2021 and 12 in 2020.
On the plus side, he spoke to the media on Thursday and tried to make it clear that his missing time is purely precautionary.
“After what I’ve dealt with the last couple of years, the last thing you wanted was to come and say ‘Hey, my left side is a little sore’,” he said per the Dallas Morning News. “I felt when I flew in [Tuesday] it was fine, just a little stiff feeling. And then after relaying that message, they just said they wanted to be smart about this and make sure it’s gone before we push forward.”
He added that he felt better on Wednesday and Thursday compared to when he first arrived.
Unfortunately, that improvement hasn’t resulted in him taking part in any baseball activities yet. And the wait looks like it’s going to continue.