When the Texas Rangers signed two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom to a five-year, $185 million contract back in December, they knew it came with an injury risk.
After all, the 34-year-old deGrom had started a total of 44 games over the past four seasons due to numerous injuries.
Unfortunately, deGrom will not find himself on the mound for at least the next calendar year. According to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, the ace pitcher will undergo Tommy John Surgery to repair a tear in the UCL of his throwing elbow.
Typically, an injury of this ilk sidelines a pitcher for north of a calendar year. Depending how the surgery and rehab go, deGrom likely won’t be pitching until after the All-Star Break next season.
deGrom exited his last start April 28 against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning with elbow discomfort. Texas just recently placed him on the 60-day disabled list, leading to speculation that something could be up.
Jacob deGrom career stats: 84-57 record, 2.53 ERA, 0.99 WHIP
As you can see, deGrom has been among the most dominant pitchers since he made his debut with the New York Mets back in 2014. That included earning back-to-back NL Cy Young awards in 2018 and 2019 before his injuries started piling up.
Back in 2021, deGrom started to feel tightness in his throwing arm after 15 starts in which he posted a 7-2 record with a 1.08 ERA. He ultimately didn’t pitch the remainder of the season despite being able to avoid surgery. In 2022 with the Mets, Jacob deGrom suffered a stress fracture in his right scapula. He would go on to start just 11 games before ultimately signing with the Rangers this past winter.
deGrom remains under contract with Texas through at least the 2027 season with a combined salary of $155 million from 2024-27. He pitched to a 2-0 record with a 2.67 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in six starts with the Rangers before being injured in late April.