MLB Rumors: deGrom injury uncertainty, Yankees scapegoat, Mets in pitching hell

MLB Rumors: Jacob deGrom’s return timeline doesn’t sound confident

The one big concern about the lucrative contract that the Texas Rangers gave to Jacob deGrom in free agency this offseason was the health of the perennial Cy Young candidate. Over his final few years with the Mets, he struggled to consistently stay on the mound. And more than a month into his Rangers tenure, the injury bug is still biting deGrom.

After a late-April start against the Yankees ended after just 3.2 innings as he left with pain in his elbow, which eventually landed him on the IL. He also left an April 17 start against the Royals with wrist soreness and missed time in the spring with injuries as well.

So now Texas is in the unfortunate position of just waiting until deGrom can return to the mound. And it seemed like Rangers manager Bruce Bochy offered a good sign for his return, giving out a timeline of “another two-to-three weeks” that the ace could miss.

Here’s the problem with that, though. Given the ranging nature of that timetable and the fact that terms like “could miss” were used when he spoke to reporters, it’s hard not to get the sense that Bochy and the Rangers are both frustrated and uncertain.

We can read this as the Rangers are hoping it’s just 2-3 more weeks that Jacob deGrom is out but, given how this season has started out, it’s hard to feel completely confident in that. Just as much, it’s hard to feel confident he’ll stay healthy.

All told, the feelings around Texas’ big offseason addition have to feel a lot worse given the way the right-hander’s health has trended over the first few months with the Rangers.