September 13 – It’s obviously Week 1 for the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers sent right-hander Kumar Rocker to the mound in Seattle on Thursday to make his major league debut.
Right-hander Jacob deGrom will make his season debut on Friday.
DeGrom, a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, will make his first start since April 28, 2023, when he tore his ulnar collateral ligament and required a second Tommy John surgery. He went 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA in six starts with the Rangers last season after signing a five-year, $185 million deal as a free agent, striking out 45 and allowing only four bases in 30 1/3 innings.
“I feel really good,” deGrom told BallySouthern Sports after his final rehab session for Double-A Frisco on Saturday. “We thought it was really important to get started last time, get back up and mainly work on my low speed. Try to solve all the problems before going back to helping the team.
“…I haven’t played in a long time, so those are the adjustments I have to make. I’m sure there will be more adjustments along the way. I’m ready to embrace coming back and helping the Texas Rangers.”
Additionally, veteran right-hander Max Scherzer, who has been on the injured list since Aug. 2 with right shoulder fatigue, is expected to start Saturday’s game against the Mariners.
“I’m really excited, it’s a fun week,” Rangers general manager Chris Young said. “Anytime you get one of your top prospects to make his debut and you get two of the best pitchers in the game coming back, (it’s awesome).”
Rangers head coach Bruce Bochy said he had not set a specific number of pitches for deGrom and Scherzer.
“If they can go five innings or 60 pitches, they’re somewhere,” Bochy said. “If the innings are good they could leave the game. We have no certainty about that.”
The defending World Series champion Rangers (71-76) have won 11 of their last 16 games and are trying to disrupt the American League West race.
They won the series opener, 5-4, with Josh Jung, Nathaniel Lowe and Marcus Semien each hitting solo home runs. Rock, a former first-round pick, went four innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking two and striking out seven.
The Mariners (74-73) were 4 1/2 games back in both the AL West and the wild-card game, allowing them to blow a three-point lead.
“A tough loss,” Mariners head coach Dan Wilson said. “It’s tough to take. It’s tough to lose a lead that late. Our guys will come back. We’ve done it before. We’ll be ready to go back (Friday).”
DeGrom was 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his previous two starts against Seattle. The Mariners have not named a starter for Friday’s game to fill the void of star Luis Castillo, who went on the injured list earlier this week with a strained left hamstring, but are expected to call up right-hander Emerson Hancock.
–Visual-level media
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