Jacob deGrom’s 2026 Season Delayed

Jacob deGrom’s season won’t kick off as planned in 2026. The two-time Cy Young Award winner experienced an abrasion on the road from a stiff neck during Saturday’s match against the Phillies.

Despite this setback, reports suggest the Rangers are not overly concerned. It seems there’s a chance the right-handed pitcher could still make his start on the upcoming opening road trip.

In the meantime, Jacob Lutz is set to step in for deGrom during the second game of the three-game series.

During his time in recent years, deGrom has had his fair share of health issues, particularly with his elbow. From 2021 to 2024, he averaged around 49 innings pitched per season. Following Tommy John surgery in 2023—his first appearance after leaving the Mets for the Rangers on a significant five-year, $185 million deal—his pitching time dropped considerably. In fact, he only managed to pitch 41 innings across the first two seasons of his contract with Texas.

On a brighter note, last season saw deGrom regain his health, earning him a spot as an All-Star once more. He logged 172.2 innings, his best since 2019, while maintaining a 2.97 ERA and finishing eighth in American League Cy Young voting.

Having begun spring training this year, deGrom expressed his aspirations if he can stay healthy. “I want to pitch another 200 innings,” he mentioned to reporters early in March. “I was able to start 30 games last year, so I felt like I could keep going. If we made the playoffs, I felt like I was ready to go. So I’m just going to build on that and see how this year goes. Hopefully, I can start as many games as I can.”

Following a weekend series in Philadelphia, the Rangers are looking ahead to a three-game series against the Orioles in Baltimore, providing deGrom with another opportunity to make his away debut.