Jacob deGrom strikes out four vs. Mariners in first start back from second career Tommy John surgery

For the first time since last April 28, two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom toed the slab in a major league game Friday night. The Texas Rangers righty thew 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park (GameTracker) in his first start following his second career Tommy John surgery. DeGrom struck out four and threw 61 pitches while on a pitch limit.

Here is deGrom’s first strikeout in his first start off the injured list:

Friday’s outing was vintage deGrom. His fastball sat 97.2 mph and topped out at 98.7 mph, and his slider lived at 89.7 mph. Mariners hitters have the highest strikeout rate in baseball and it showed Friday. They swung at 31 of deGrom’s 61 pitches and missed 10 times for an incredible 32.2% whiff rate. The MLB average is 25.2%.

DeGrom made four minor-league rehab starts in preparation for his return to the big leagues and was dominant in those four starts, striking out 15 and allowing one run on four hits and a walk in 10 2/3 innings. He built his pitch count up from 29 pitches in his first rehab start to 49 pitches in his fourth, hence the tight pitch limit Friday.

The Rangers are 7.5 games behind the third wild-card spot and are likely to miss the postseason. Shutting deGrom down for the season rather than pitching him in meaningless games seems sensible, though getting into major league games is an important rehab milestone. Now deGrom’s checked that box and can go into the offseason with peace of mind.

“It feels like it’s been a long time, but making the rehab or going from the live (batting practice) to the rehab starts, you know, we were seeing light at the end of the tunnel,” deGrom said earlier this week (via the Associated Press). “Then to finally get here, you know, it’s going to be an exciting day for me.”

DeGrom, 36, is in the second year of his five-year, $185 million contract. Before his elbow gave out last year, he had a 2.65 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings across six starts. From 2018-23, deGrom pitched to a 2.08 ERA with 921 strikeouts in 675 23 MLB innings. He won the NL Cy Young award in 2018 and 2019.

Multiple injuries, including forearm trouble and a stress reaction in his shoulder, limited deGrom to 26 starts with the New York Mets from 2021-22. He signed his free-agent contract with the Rangers in Dec. 2022. deGrom had his first Tommy John surgery as a minor leaguer in Oct. 2010.

The Rangers currently have a six-man rotation. Staying on turn would line deGrom up to make two more starts: Sept. 20 against the Mariners at Globe Life Field, and Sept. 27 on the road against the Los Angeles Angels.