Jacob deGrom was held to five innings Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels after manager Skip Schumaker revealed the right-hander was battling left hip and leg soreness that had lingered since his previous start.
The Texas Rangers won 8-3 at Globe Life Field despite deGrom's limited outing, pulling to within half a game of first-place Seattle in the American League West. Schumaker said postgame that the Rangers did not want to push deGrom beyond the 80 pitches and five innings he worked through.
deGrom said the hip and leg issue is something he typically manages between starts, but it did not go away this week the way it normally does. The Rangers are hopeful he will be able to make his next scheduled start without any setbacks.
"This week, it kind of lingered," deGrom told reporters, as reported by Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. "We worked on it in between, like we normally had. It just kind of lingered. I felt it when I was out there."
deGrom allowed two runs in the first inning on a Jorge Soler double and a Josh Lowe single, then held the Angels to just four baserunners over his final four innings. He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks.
The 38-year-old is 5-4 with a 3.17 ERA, 89 strikeouts and a 0.99 WHIP this season. He has also dealt with first-inning struggles throughout 2026, allowing 19 of his 39 runs in the opening frame entering Tuesday.
Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
The Rangers are 46-45 following the win, second in the American League West and a half-game behind Seattle. Texas hosts the Angels again on Wednesday with left-hander MacKenzie Gore scheduled to start.
deGrom signed a five-year, $185 million contract with Texas in 2022. He is a two-time Cy Young winner who went 12-8 with a 2.97 ERA in a healthy 2025 season, and the Rangers will continue to monitor him closely as the second half approaches.
ALSO SEE:
- MLB Prop Bets Today: Best MLB Player Prop Predictions for Saturday, July 4
- MLB Home Run Predictions Today: Best HR Prop Bets for Saturday, July 4
- NRFI and YRFI MLB Bets Today: Best First Inning Predictions for Saturday, July 4
