Rangers’ Jacob deGrom ‘tosses 20-25 pitches off a mound’ in his first spring-training action

In perhaps the biggest news of spring training, Jacob deGrom finally took the mound for the Texas Rangers on Thursday.

The two-time National League Cy Young winner had been battling tightness on his left side after signing a five-year, $185 million deal with the club back in December.

The Rangers have been pinning their postseason hopes on the addition of deGrom, but the 34-year-old battled shoulder problems in 2022, raising questions about his future availability.

On Thursday, deGrom threw between 20 and 25 pitches off the mound, which is a typical workload at the onset of spring training.

The Florida native spent the first nine years of his big league career with the Mets, but injuries limited him to 156 1/3 innings in 26 starts over the past two seasons.

In perhaps the biggest news of spring training, Jacob deGrom finally took the mound for the Texas Rangers on Thursday. The two-time National League Cy Young winner had been battling tightness on his left side after signing a five-year, $185 million deal with the club back in December

After missing the final three months of the 2021 season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, deGrom was shut down late in spring training last year because of a stress reaction in his right scapula. He didn’t pitch in the big leagues last season until August, then became a free agent for the first time.

New Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that there were no concerns about deGrom’s delay getting on the mound.

‘Well, you look at the throwing he did before, we decided to back off a little bit,’ Bochy said. ‘It’s not any concern on our part, especially where we’re at in spring training here. … He feels great.’

When speaking to reporters last week, deGrom blamed the tightness on his off-season regimen, which included more throwing than in past years.

‘I did a lot of throwing, more than normal just to get in a good spot,’ deGrom said. ‘And then, you know, I was very aggravated with something little like this too pop up. But I think the bright side is how good my arm feels and where my stuff was at throwing off the mound at home.’

The Rangers have five weeks before their opener at home March 30 against NL champion Philadelphia.

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom did throw on Sunday (pictured), but had not done so off a mound until Thursday due to some lingering soreness on his left side 

The Rangers, after their sixth consecutive losing season, started the offseason by acquiring Odorizzi in a trade from Atlanta before retaining All-Star left-hander Martin Pérez on a $19.65 million qualifying offer.

Then came the signing of deGrom even before baseball’s winter meetings, and the additions of Heaney and Eovaldi on multiyear deals later in December. Duffy, who never pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year while recovering from left elbow surgery, is in camp as a non-roster invitee.

‘It’s exciting. I think everybody should be excited. I know I am,’ catcher Jonah Heim said about the pitching additions before going to spring training. ‘It’s going to be a great staff. If everybody can stay healthy, we’re going to have a great year.’

That certainly is the key.

‘Ultimately we have targets in mind, in terms of opening day being a significant one. And then obviously, wanting these guys healthy in October as well, and finishing strong,’ said general manager Chris Young, a former big league pitcher. ‘We need to have these guys over the duration of the season and if we’re going to get to where we want to go, our hope is to be playing baseball in October.’

The Rangers, after their sixth consecutive losing season, started the offseason by acquiring Jake Odorizzi (pictured) in a trade from Atlanta before retaining All-Star left-hander Martin Pérez on a $19.65 million qualifying offer

There were nearly 13 months between big league appearances for deGrom before he went 5-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 11 starts after his ’22 season debut on Aug. 2. He had a career-low 1.08 ERA over 92 innings in 2021 before missing the final three months with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, then was shut down late in spring training last year because of a stress reaction in his right scapula.

Eovaldi ($34 million, two-year deal with vesting option for 2025) had an AL-high 32 starts for Boston in 2021, and the Texas native was 6-3 with a 3.87 ERA while limited to 20 starts last year because of shoulder and leg injuries. Heaney ($25 million, two-year deal) was 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 16 games for the Dodgers while dealing with a pair of shoulder injuries. Odorizzi had 22 starts combined for Atlanta and Houston in a season interrupted by a leg injury.

Pérez, who rejoined Texas at the start of spring training last year, was 12-8 with a 2.89 ERA in 32 starts. Young right-hander Dane Dunning made 29 starts, but had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip at the end of last season.

Jon Gray got a $56 million, four-year deal from the Rangers at the same time they signed infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to long-term deals worth a combined value of $500 million before the lockout that preceded last season. Gray was 7-7 with a 3.96 ERA, but had three IL stints.

‘We have a lot of new faces and hopefully, you know, the bigger thing is stay healthy all year. That’s one of our goals,’ Pérez said.

Nathan Eovaldi (pictured) had an AL-high 32 starts for Boston in 2021, and the Texas native was 6-3 with a 3.87 ERA while limited to 20 starts last year because of shoulder and leg injuries