Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom had four strikeouts in 3⅔ scoreless innings on Friday night in his return from Tommy John surgery.
“I told (a teammate) I feel like a fawn here: ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,'” deGrom said after a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Mariners. “I almost fell over. I was pretty nervous, so it was a big deal to get back out there. My legs were shaking a little bit.”
DeGrom, 36, allowed two hits in the fourth inning and was taken out after taking Jorge Polanco out of the game with a fly ball to center. Walter Pennington came in and got JP Crawford to jump to second base, leaving runners on the corners.
DeGrom threw 61 pitches, including 41 strikes, in his first major league appearance since April 28, 2023. The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner allowed four hits and did not walk a single bat.
He rated his performance as “C”.
“It’s great to be able to get out there and pitch in a major league game so you don’t feel like you’re in rehab mode for two years,” deGrom said. “And now we’re just trying to get things back to how they normally pitch and get ready to play next year.”
DeGrom signed a five-year, $185 million contract with Texas in December 2022 after beginning his major league career with the New York Mets. He played six times for the Rangers last year before getting injured.
In June 2023, he underwent surgery to replace the ligament in his elbow, the same procedure he underwent in the minor leagues in 2010.
DeGrom allowed Victor Robles’ leadoff infield single in the first inning, but got out of the inning with the help of two strikeouts. After hitting Luke Raley to leadoff the second inning, he managed three easy popouts to the edge of the infield. In the third inning, he deflected a Robles liner back to the mound with his glove and threw it for an out.
Manager Bruce Bochy said he didn’t notice anything about the performance that would worry him. He highlighted the velocity of deGrom’s fastball and liked that he “used all of his throws,” including the slider and changeup.
“That’s what you want to see, just someone out there who is healthy,” Bochy said.
DeGrom made four rehab starts for Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, allowing one earned run in 10⅔ innings, equivalent to a 0.84 ERA. He struck out 15 batters and allowed one walk.
Bochy said he will implement a six-man rotation for the rest of the season to make room for deGrom and Max Scherzer, who returns Saturday.
“The goal for the next two is to get things right,” deGrom said. “And then you can treat it like a normal offseason.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
