Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom will not pitch on Sunday, manager Skip Schumaker told reporters, including Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. deGrom was removed from his outing on Tuesday after five innings with what was initially described as a hip injury. Schumaker said it’s a mild left glute strain. The team hasn’t decided if deGrom will need a stint on the injured list.
“Anything with a hip, or lower half, or arm, you’re definitely concerned,” Schumaker said, relayed by McFarland. “We had a conversation with him, and the way he’s feeling today is better, but you never know until a couple more days of rehab and how he feels.”
deGrom recovered from a rough first inning to deliver five frames of two-run ball against the Angels. He tossed 80 pitches before departing the game. The righty was expected to take the ball this weekend despite the injury, but that plan has now changed.
Injuries have been a massive part of deGrom’s career, though he’s coming off his healthiest season of the decade. The veteran compiled 172 2/3 innings across 30 starts last year. The workhorse season came after he’d totaled 197 1/3 frames from 2021 through 2024. The first two years of deGrom’s tenure in Texas were marred by elbow injuries. He made just nine starts combined between 2023 and 2024.
deGrom has already tossed 100 innings this season, giving him back-to-back campaigns reaching triple-digit frames. He hadn’t surpassed that threshold since 2019 before this stretch. deGrom hasn’t been dominant this year, notching a 3.49 ERA across 18 starts, but he’s been the steadiest member of the Rangers’ rotation. The righty has pushed his strikeout rate back up to 30.4% this year. It dipped to 27.7% in 2025, the first time deGrom has been below 30% since 2017.
Texas is already missing Jack Leiter, who went down with a significant ankle injury. His absence opened a rotation spot for journeyman Cal Quantrill. If deGrom is forced to miss time beyond Sunday, the club could recall pitching prospect Jose Corniell. The 23-year-old worked as a bulk reliever behind Quantrill in his lone MLB appearance. Fellow prospects David Davalillo and Winston Santos are also on the 40-man roster.
Veteran lefty Jordan Montgomery is another candidate to fill deGrom’s spot on the staff. Montgomery has made four rehab starts as he works his way back from an elbow injury. He only got up to 40 pitches in his most recent outing with Triple-A Round Rock, but he could be ready to contribute at the big-league level after another minor league start or two.
Photo courtesy of Jim Cowsert, Imagn Images
