While battling the Houston Astros for the top spot in the American League West, the Texas Rangers faced some concern surrounding ace pitcher Jacob deGrom.
The 38-year-old left his Aug. 13 start after just 2.0 innings due to discomfort in his throwing arm. The Rangers ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Angels 7-0.
Questions remained about the Rangers’ rotation heading into their series against the Washington Nationals. deGrom will miss his scheduled start on Wednesday, with Kumar Rocker set to take the mound instead.
However, deGrom is expected to return for the series finale, according to Rangers insider Jeff Wilson. “He said he feels good,” the insider wrote.
Details on Jacob deGrom’s Injury
The Rangers identified Jacob deGrom’s issue as right triceps fatigue, which forced him out of his Aug. 13 start.
“I’m not too concerned,” deGrom initially said after leaving the game. “Hopefully I’ll make my next [start], we’ll see. Tonight, it just — there in the second it was tight and just didn’t want to loosen up. I haven’t really had that before.”
According to MLB.com’s Jacob Gurvis, deGrom said he could have continued pitching through the discomfort but chose to be cautious.
Although he will technically miss his scheduled Wednesday start, deGrom is targeting a return Thursday.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner has continued to perform despite his age. In his 13th season, deGrom owns an 8-8 record, a 3.95 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP, along with 147 strikeouts across 120.2 innings.
Texas will need its veteran ace with the Rangers trailing the Astros by one game in the AL West.
Rangers Designate Austin Wynns for Assignment
The Rangers announced ahead of their series against the Washington Nationals that catcher Austin Wynns has been designated for assignment.
Wynns, 35, signed a minor league contract with Texas on June 23. The Rangers added him for catching depth while Danny Jansen recovered from a 60-day injured-list stint. With Jansen returning to the lineup on Aug. 18, Texas opted to move on from Wynns.
Wynns appeared in 14 games for the Rangers, batting .146/.195/.183 with one home run and one RBI. He will now look to find his fourth team of the 2026 MLB season.