Rangers’ Jacob deGrom returns strong in first start since 2023

SEATTLE —  Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom struck out four in 3⅔ scoreless innings Friday night in his return from Tommy John surgery.

“I told [a teammate] I’m like a baby deer out 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 had quite a bit of nerves, so getting back out there was big. My legs were shaking a little bit.”

DeGrom, 36, gave up two hits in the fourth and was removed after he retired Jorge Polanco on a fly ball to center. Walter Pennington then came in and got J.P. Crawford to bounce to second, leaving runners on the corners.

DeGrom threw 61 pitches, 41 for strikes, in his first major league appearance since April 28, 2023. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner gave up four hits and walked none.

He graded his performance as a “C.”

“It’s big to get out and pitch in a major league game, so you don’t feel like you’re in rehab mode for two straight years,” deGrom said. “And now let’s just try to get things back where they were executing pitches like you normally do and get ready to play next year.”

DeGrom agreed to a $185 million, five-year contract with Texas in December 2022 after beginning his big league career with the New York Mets. He made six starts for the Rangers last year before he was hurt.

He had surgery to replace the ligament in his elbow in June 2023. He also had the same procedure in 2010 while in the minor leagues.

DeGrom gave up  Victor Robles’ leadoff infield single in the first but got out of the inning with the help of two strikeouts. After hitting Luke Raley to lead off the second, he induced three easy popouts to the edge of the infield. In the third, he deflected a Robles liner back to the mound with his glove, and then made the throw for the out.

Manager Bruce Bochy said he saw nothing that concerned him about the performance. He spotlighted the velocity on deGrom’s fastball and liked that he “used all his pitches,” including the slider and changeup.

“That’s what you want to see, just somebody that’s healthy out there,” he said.

DeGrom made four rehab starts for Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, giving up one earned run over 10⅔ innings for a 0.84 ERA. He struck out 15 batters and walked one.

Bochy said he’ll install a six-man rotation the rest of the season to make room for deGrom and Max Scherzer, who makes his return Saturday.

“The goal for the next two is to really dial things in,” deGrom said. “And then you can treat it like a normal offseason.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.