Rangers' Jacob deGrom Says He's 'Ready to Go Back out There' amid Elbow Injury Rehab

Jacob deGrom hasn't pitched since an April 28 start against the New York Yankees due to elbow inflammation, but the Texas Rangers ace believes he's ready to return to the mound after an extended absence.

"For sure, feel like I've turned a corner," deGrom said Friday after tossing a 25-pitch bullpen session, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "Everything felt good. Definitely headed in the right direction. I'm ready to go back out there."

DeGrom's comments come after Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters on May 9 that the right-hander would be sidelined for two-to-three more weeks.

The Rangers placed deGrom on the 15-day injured list on April 29 after he exited the April 28 start against the Yankees after 3.2 innings with what was described as "forearm tightness." A post-game MRI revealed inflammation in the elbow.

Texas signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in free agency this winter after he opted out of his contract with the New York Mets. In six starts, he is 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA, 0.758 WHIP and 45 strikeouts in 30.1 innings.

When healthy, deGrom is arguably the best pitcher in baseball. During his nine-year career with the Mets, he won two National League Cy Young awards, an ERA title and four All-Star selections.

That said, the 34-year-old has struggled to stay healthy over the latter stages of his career. In addition to dealing with minor elbow ailments, he spent 13 months on the shelf between 2021 and 2022 due to forearm tightness and a shoulder injury.

With deGrom out of the lineup, the Rangers have relied on Andrew Heaney, Jon Gray, Martín Pérez and Nathan Eovaldi to lead the rotation.

Texas entered Friday's game against the Colorado Rockies first in the American League West with a 26-17 record, two games above the second-place Houston Astros.