The Texas Rangers are hopeful that Jacob deGrom can remain healthy in 2025 after he made a total of just nine starts through his first two seasons with the franchise.
The 36-year-old has not yet pitched in Cactus League play this spring, but is expected to toe the rubber against the Colorado Rockies later this week. As for the team's plan for deGrom when the regular season swings around, manager Bruce Bochy indicated the veteran righty will be pitching in the back-end of Texas's rotation, via Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News.
Bochy didn't indicate whether deGrom would be the Rangers' No. 4 or No. 5 starter, but made clear the plan was to give the two-time Cy Young winner as much time to ramp up as possible. deGrom missed almost the entire '24 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He made his season debut in September and pitched a total of 10 2/3 innings across three appearances while registering a 1.69 ERA.
As for his debut in 2025, it's not yet been determined whether it will come during the final game of the Rangers' season-opening series against the Boston Red Sox on March 30, or if he'll be in line to open up the series against the Cincinnati Reds on March 31.
The four-time All-Star is entering the third year of a five-year, $185 million deal he signed with the team ahead of the 2023 season. Bochy said deGrom will make around four starts during spring training in order to get himself ready for the regular season.
With deGrom set to pitch in the back-end of the rotation, Nathan Eovaldi is expected to be the Rangers' Opening Day starter.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rangers Reveal Pitching Plans for Jacob deGrom in Return From Injury.
