ARLINGTON — This is not the first time that Rangers right-handed pitcher Jacob deGrom has felt hip soreness after a start. It is the first time that it’s lingered this long, though, and that’s why the Rangers will utilize the All-Star break to give the two-time Cy Young award winner ample time to shake the ailment.
“[The doctor] doesn’t think it’s something that’s going to get worse,” deGrom said. “He’s just like, ‘It’s there, just give it the time to calm down.’ I told him it’s something I can pitch with, and he’s like, ‘Yeah, it’s in an area where it’s not really going to get worse, it’s just what you can deal with.’ I said I can deal with it right now, and then the discussion becomes, do we take this extra time because we have it?”
The Rangers took it, and while deGrom will progress through his “normal throwing progression” over the break, he won’t throw off a mound until the second half begins. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker estimated that deGrom could potentially throw a bullpen Friday or Saturday at Atlanta’s Truist Park before the club determines its next steps.
Rangers right-handed pitcher Jakob Junis, the bullpen’s setup man, played catch before Sunday’s game and will work out at the club’s Surprise, Ariz. complex over the break as he works his way back from a hip impingement. He could potentially throw a live bullpen over the break, and if all goes well, could either rejoin the active roster or start a minor league rehab assignment.