The Texas Rangers have already implemented their strategy to manage Jacob deGrom’s workload. Following a lengthy recovery from surgery that side lined him for most of the 2024 season, the two-time Cy Young Award winner is adjusting his upcoming appearance.
Manager Bruce Bochy stated Wednesday on Foul Territory that the Rangers are intentionally easing Jacob deGrom into the 2025 season, despite him being fully healthy.
“We’ve slow-played him,” deGrom told A.J. Pierzynski. Originally set to pitch Thursday in Scottsdale, deGrom will instead throw three innings in a controlled setting. The team plans to slot him into the back end of the rotation early in the season, utilizing scheduled off-days to provide extra rest for his first five starts. “We’re just trying to manage his workload—he’s a key to our success,” Bochy explained.
The Rangers signed deGrom, now 36, to a five-year, $185 million deal in December 2022, but he has made only nine starts due to a right elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery and an extensive recovery. He returned for three outings late last season, but the team remains cautious about increasing his workload too quickly in 2025.
“If we need to skip a start or place him on the IL to keep him fresh, we’ll do it,” Bochy added.
Despite his injuries, deGrom remains one of the league’s top pitchers when healthy. He is considered a contender for the American League Cy Young Award, an honour he won twice during his nine seasons with the Mets (2014–21). Over his career, deGrom holds an 84-57 record with a 2.52 ERA across 218 starts for New York and Texas. However, his time with the Mets was frequently interrupted by injuries, leading to six separate stints on the injured list.
