Jacob deGrom, Texas Rangers. (Photo by Ben Ludeman/Texas Rangers/Getty Images)
Rounding up the MLB news out of spring training with the latest on Jacob deGrom, a big-time Braves showdown, an Astros injury that could cost them and more.
Spring Training is getting underway and, as such, the MLB news is coming at us like water out of a firehose. Baseball’s back, though, so it’s not all bad.
With that said, there are important updates coming out at all times, whether it’s with the latest on Jacob deGrom as he starts his Rangers tenure, the Braves trying to balance their stars, or the defending World Series champion Astros getting some bad news.
So let’s dive into some of the biggest MLB news and notes from the mid-week check-in around baseball.
MLB news: Jacob deGrom return date for first bullpen session set
Many people saw right away that the Texas Rangers were taking a big risk on Jacob deGrom in free agency when they signed him away from the Mets, where he’d spent his career up until this upcoming season, on a five-year, $185 million. And the worst fears seemed to be coming true when deGrom showed up with tightness in his side that held him out from throwing at the start of camp.
But good news, he’s going to start throwing again! Rangers manager Bruce Bochy revealed to the media on Wednesday that deGrom will throw his first bullpen session of Spring Training camp on Thursday, Feb. 23, finally getting back on the mound since being held out right as he showed up in Arizona.
Undoubtedly, this is a positive sign for the Rangers as their big investment will finally get onto the diamond. The fact that it’s been delayed this much, however, won’t alleviate any of the concern about deGrom’s health moving forward.
In his mid-30s already, deGrom has missed substantial time in recent years due to a variety of injuries, seemingly indicating that his body might not hold up well as he gets closer to 40 years old. The alarm bells went off when he showed up with the minor injury and, even after the precautions taken early, his health will now be under the microscope as he starts to take the bump.