Jacob deGrom won't be back on the mound any time soon.
The Texas Rangers' prized offseason signing will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair an ulnar collateral ligament tear, general manager Chris Young announced Tuesday.
He will miss the remainder of the 2023 season and likely part of the 2024 season, as recovery from Tommy John typically takes 12 to 18 months. DeGrom previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010 shortly after he was drafted by the New York Mets.
The Rangers signed deGrom to a five-year, $185 million deal in December, poaching him from the Mets. In six starts this season, deGrom posted a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts and just four walks in 30.1 innings pitched.
The 34-year-old righty hasn't pitched since April 28, when he exited early due to injury for the second time in a span of three starts.
Staying healthy has been an issue for deGrom in recent years. Over his final two seasons with the Mets, he made just 26 starts.
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When healthy, deGrom has been one of the best pitchers in baseball -- winning the NL Cy Young award in 2018 and 2019 and being named an All-Star four times. In 215 career starts, deGrom has an 84-57 record with a 2.53 ERA, 1,652 strikeouts and 307 walks.
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Even with deGrom sidelined since April, the Rangers have been rolling. Texas leads the AL West with a 39-20 record, 3.5 games ahead of the defending World Series champion Houston Astros. The Rangers haven't made the postseason since 2016.
