<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb-news-japanese-sensation-better-jacob-degrom-evaluation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Japanese sensation draws ‘better Jacob deGrom’ evaluation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/MLB-news-Japanese-sensation-draws-better-Jacob-deGrom-evaluation.jpg"></figure><h1>Japanese sensation draws ‘better Jacob deGrom’ evaluation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-22T12:43:25-07:00">September 22nd, 12:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-22T12:43:25-07:00">September 22nd, 12:43pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>International free agents have been massive difference-makers in MLB in recent years. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/shohei-ohtani-net-worth">From Shohei Ohtani</a>, Shota Imanaga, Masahiro Tanaka, Masataka Yoshida, and plenty more, Japanese players have made names for themselves in America. There is a new name fans will know soon, Roki Sasaki. The former World Baseball Classic star recently got<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2024/09/22/home-field-advantage-mlb-postseason-overrated/75331164007/" rel="noopener"> a great evaluation</a> from an anonymous executive, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.</p><p>“‘He is a healthy Jacob deGrom,” one executive said, ‘only better. He might have the best stuff I’ve ever seen.’ It remains unknown whether Sasaki will leave Japan this winter or wait one more year,” Nightengale wrote about Sasaki.</p><p>The article also mentions Billy Eppler, the former Angels and Mets general manager who is coming off suspension this winter. He was accused of using the injured list for players who were not injured when with LA. Despite the accusation, teams believe he may be the key to landing Roki Sasaki because he signed Ohtani in 2017.</p><p>International free agency is one of the many parts of baseball that heavily favors big-market teams. These highly-touted players command massive contacts, and Sasaki should be no different. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the best comparable in this situation. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-dodgers-yoshinobu-yamamoto-12-year-325-million-contract-free-agency">signed with the Dodgers</a> for 12 years and $325 million.</p><h2><b>Potential suitors for Roki Sasaki</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Roki-Sasaki-at-World-Baseball-Classic.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Navarro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Teams will be chomping at the bit to get Roki Sasaki on their team whenever he comes over from Japan. At 21 years old, he was on the stacked pitching staff for Team Japan at the World Baseball Classic. He threw 7.2 innings over two appearances, allowing three earned runs and striking out 11 batters. This began Sasaki-mania in MLB front offices.</p><p>The Mets are a suitor for every big free agent moving forward because of owner Steve Cohen and his deep pockets. They <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mets-news-new-york-wins-kodai-senga-sweepstakes-with-5-year-75-million-deal">signed Kodai Senga</a> out of Japan when Eppler was the GM in 2022. If it takes until the end of the 2025 season for Sasaki to come over, the Mets could have already signed Juan Soto and other big free agents, chewing up their payroll.</p><p>If the Yankees land Soto this offseason, don’t expect them to be in the Sasaki sweepstakes. If they have space under the luxury tax, general manager Brian Cashman is familiar with the process of signing free agents from Asia, namely Masahiro Tanaka and Chien-Ming Wang.</p><p>The Cubs and Dodgers already have high-priced pitchers that could prevent them from signing Sasaki. The Blue Jays missed out on Ohtani and could be looking to rebuild their rotation with a star soon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Japanese sensation draws ‘better Jacob deGrom’ evaluation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-2024-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Three most important Jacob deGrom 2024 debut elements to watch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-13-24-degrom-featured.jpg"></figure><h1>Three most important Jacob deGrom 2024 debut elements to watch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-13T12:20:28-07:00">September 13th, 12:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-13T12:20:28-07:00">September 13th, 12:20pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Texas Rangers are going to get a huge boost when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-2024-season-debut">Jacob deGrom makes his season debut on Friday.</a> DeGrom has not pitched in the Major Leagues since April 28, 2023 after injuring his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery and is looking to show that he can still be one of the best pitchers in baseball when he is fully healthy.</p><p>This was deGrom’s second Tommy John surgery. At age-36, it has been quite an ordeal getting back into Major League shape, so there is some skepticism about how effective he will be in his return.</p><p>Here are the three most important things to look for during the two-time Cy Young Award winner, four-time All-Star’s return to the mound for the Rangers.</p><h2><b>1. Jacob deGrom’s Velocity</b></h2><p>The most clear indicator of how well deGrom’s elbow is feeling will be the amount of velocity he is able to get on his four-seam fastball. During a live batting practice session a month ago, deGrom was <a href="https://www.mlb.com/rangers/video/jacob-degrom-throws-99-mph-pitch-in-second-live-bp#:~:text=Jacob%20deGrom%20throws%2099%20mph,%2F12%2F2024%20%7C%20Texas%20Rangers" rel="noopener">able to hit</a> 99 mph. Throughout his career, deGrom has been known for his fastball and has consistently been able to reach 100 mph if he needs to.</p><p>It would be unrealistic to expect deGrom to set new career-highs in velocity or to look exactly like the pitcher he was before his second Tommy John surgery. However, if he can consistently reach the upper-90s with his fastball, that would be an excellent sign for the Rangers.</p><h2><b>2. Jacob deGrom’s Pitch count</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-13-24-degrom-image.jpg"><figcaption>© Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While deGrom was effective during his four minor league rehab appearances, allowing just one earned run, four hits and one walk and striking out 14 in 10 2/3 innings, he did not pitch very deep into any of his starts. In <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-max-scherzer-major-injury-return">deGrom’s longest and last appearance</a>, he went four innings but only threw 49 pitches despite being scheduled to throw 60.</p><p>It would be surprising if the Rangers let deGrom stay in Friday’s game very long, especially because he was not stretched out very long during his rehab appearances. However, if he begins to tire quickly or is pulled earlier than expected despite pitching well, that could be cause for concern. A great target for deGrom would be to throw five innings and around 70 pitches.</p><h2>3. Jacob deGrom’s Slider</h2><p>It is easy to look at fastball velocity as the biggest indicator of how healthy a pitcher’s elbow is. However, for deGrom, what may be important is how well he is able to use his off-speed pitches, like his slider. During his last full season in 2019 when he won his second Cy Young award, deGrom threw his slider 32% of the time and opponents were hitting just .186 against it.</p><p>If deGrom is able to mix his slider in with his fastball effectively and can have the same movement he had before his second Tommy John surgery, that would go a long way in showing that a potential return to Cy Young-form is possible.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Three most important Jacob deGrom 2024 debut elements to watch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-2024-season-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rangers reveal Jacob deGrom’s 2024 MLB season debut date');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-10-24-degrom-featured.jpg"></figure><h1>Rangers reveal Jacob deGrom’s 2024 MLB season debut date</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-10T17:44:57-07:00">September 10th, 5:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-10T18:30:51-07:00">September 10th, 6:30pm</time><address><a>David Korn</a>David Korn is an MLB associate editor at ClutchPoints. He is also a producer at MLB Network Radio and covers college basketball for A10Talk. David graduated from George Washington in 2023, where he was the radio play-by-play broadcaster for their Men's and Women's Basketball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jacob deGrom is inching closer to a return to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have officially set a debut date for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/players/b93d0a06/jacob-degrom">deGrom, who missed over a year</a> while after undergoing Tommy John surgery last June.</p><p>Rangers manager Bruce Bochy <a href="https://x.com/McFarland_Shawn/status/1833655854366949727" rel="noopener">announced his starting rotation</a> for the upcoming series against the Seattle Mariners and named deGrom the starter for Friday, according to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-max-scherzer-major-injury-return">DeGrom made four rehab starts before being activated</a> by the Rangers. In his last rehab appearance with Double-A Frisco, deGrom pitched four one-hit shutout innings, throwing a very efficient 49 pitches.</p><p>This is huge news for the Rangers. Even though they are currently in third place in the AL West and are effectively out of the postseason race, getting deGrom back for a few potential starts this season will give him some valuable game experience ahead of a pivotal 2025 season.</p><h2><b>Why the Texas Rangers need Jacob deGrom back</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/09-10-24-degrom-image.jpg"><figcaption>© Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This season has been a disaster for the Rangers. After the Rangers won the World Series last year, expectations were sky-high heading into 2024. Instead of competing for a chance to potentially defend their title, the Rangers have been nowhere near the postseason race.</p><p>One of the biggest reasons why has been their lack of pitching. While the Rangers won the World Series last season without deGrom, they had a much deeper rotation with Max Scherzer, who has missed a majority of this season, and Jordan Montgomery, who left in free agency and signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks.</p><p>When healthy, deGrom is one of the absolute best pitchers in all of baseball. A four-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young winner during the first nine years of his career with the New York Mets, deGrom can still be a difference maker even at age-36 and having rehabbed from two separate Tommy John surgeries.</p><p>The goal for deGrom this season as he returns to the Major Leagues should just be to try and get comfortable and prepare for next season without over-extending himself. Results should not be the main priority. If deGrom can develop some sort of rhythm while staying healthy so that he can have a normal offseason, that would be the best case scenario.</p><p>This may be a lost season for the Rangers. But, these next few starts for deGrom could still put him on the right track towards the 2025 season. If he is able to look like an ace again, the Rangers will be in great position to turn things around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rangers reveal Jacob deGrom’s 2024 MLB season debut date

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-max-scherzer-major-injury-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rangers’ Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer get major injury return updates');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jacob-deGrom-Max-Scherzer-get-major-injury-return-updates.jpg"></figure><h1>Rangers’ Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer get major injury return updates</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-08T14:45:06-07:00">September 8th, 2:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-08T14:45:06-07:00">September 8th, 2:45pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Texas Rangers got great injury news on Sunday regarding <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-could-return-this-weekend">pitchers Jacob deGrom</a> and Max Scherzer. Both pitchers have missed time this season, contributing to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-chris-young-2024-season-embarrassing">disappointing season for the defending World Series champions</a>. Manager Bruce Bochy told reporters Sunday that both veterans are <a href="https://apnews.com/article/rangers-degrom-scherzer-b7997e3c24c398aa345745ab84586d3d" rel="noopener">ready to return</a> to the mound this season.</p><p>“(deGrom)’s ready to start here,” The Rangers’ manager said. “Same with Max. Both had great outings, terrific outings.”</p><p>Their rehab outings did go well, as Bouchy mentioned. deGrom specifically was fantastic. Rehabbing a UCL injury, the two-time Cy Young winner started with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-jacob-degrom-reacts-to-important-step-forward-in-rehab">great first rehab start.</a> He continued from there, allowing four hits over 10.2 innings in <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1832619327968723110" rel="noopener">his four starts</a>. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-max-scherzer-ominously-scratched-rehab-start-amid-shoulder-injury">Scherzer was scratched</a> from his first start but immediately got back on track.</p><p>Jacob deGrom is trying to kick the “injury-prone” tag that has followed him for the past four seasons. Since his second Cy Young season in 2019, he has not made more than 15 starts in a season. While one of those years was the COVID-shortened season, that is still four seasons cut short by injury. He has not pitched for the Rangers since April 28, 2023. The 36-year-old is under contract through 2027.</p><p>Scherzer is a different story, as his storied career has come to a close with a few injuries that have kept him out. He was able to pitch on the Rangers’ World Series run last fall, although he was not his normal self. His contract ends after this season and, while he was not dealt at the trade deadline, could be on a different team next season.</p><h2><b>Future of Rangers’ pitching rotation</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Max-Scherzer-with-Texas-Rangers.jpg"><figcaption>Jeff Curry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rangers are going to be the first defending champions to miss the playoffs since the 2011 San Francisco Giants. That is mostly because of injuries that have destroyed their roster all season long. The pitching staff has been particularly affected, including <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-gets-mixed-bag-of-tyler-mahle-jon-gray-injury-updates">Jon Gray and Tyler Mahle.</a> Each of those players will be back with the team next year.</p><p>The biggest decision the front office in Arlington has to make is Max Scherzer vs Kumar Rocker. The former is a first-ballot Hall of Famer but has struggled to stay healthy. The latter is a top prospect who just got <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-bruce-bochy-gets-100-real-on-kumar-rocker-after-injury">promoted to AAA</a> after a dominant AA career. Rocker was drafted third overall in 2022 after the drama that kept him from signing with the Mets after the 2021 draft.</p><p>Rocker should be considered for the final rotation spot next year instead of bringing Scherzer back. The Rangers could use that money to improve the team elsewhere and have two young arms in their rotation. Rocker’s former Vanderbilt teammate Jack Flaherty has done well as a mainstay in the rotation. Pairing them together would work wonders for their rotation.</p><p>The Rangers will have playoff expectations coming into next season. They made a shocking run to the World Series and beat the Cinderella Diamondbacks to win their first championship but have not followed that up well. While it has been a difficult season with injuries in 2024, the future is still bright for the Rangers and their pitching staff.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rangers’ Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer get major injury return updates

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rangers-news-jacob-degrom-could-return-this-weekend');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rangers’ Jacob deGrom could return this weekend, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Rangers-news-Jacob-deGrom-could-return-this-weekend-but-theres-a-catch.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Rangers’ Jacob deGrom could return this weekend, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-03T08:03:19-07:00">September 3rd, 8:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-03T08:03:19-07:00">September 3rd, 8:03am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jacob deGrom’s long road back to the major leagues is reaching its pivotal moment, with the Texas Rangers ace potentially just one start away from making his highly anticipated return. After undergoing UCL reconstruction surgery in June 2023, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-jacob-degrom-reacts-to-important-step-forward-in-rehab">deGrom has been methodically working his way through the rehab process</a>, with his latest outing at Triple-A Round Rock providing a glimpse of the dominant form that earned him two Cy Young Awards. In this third rehab start, deGrom struck out five batters over 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while his fastball clocked in at nearly 100 mph.</p><p>Speaking about his recovery, deGrom expressed <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/41100960/jacob-degrom-pitch-perhaps-rangers-saturday" rel="noopener">optimism about his progress</a>, saying, “Physically feel really good.” When asked if he feels like his old self, he added, “I’ve seen glimpses [of my old self]. I’ve gone so long without pitching competitively. I think sometimes with the slider, I try to do too much with it and yank it.”</p><p>He highlighted the adjustments he’s been making, including a stretch during his recent outing where he threw five consecutive sliders. “I was trying to make adjustments in the game. I ended up throwing five in a row at one point because I was like, ‘I’m gonna keep doing this until I throw it how I want it,’” deGrom explained.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jacob deGrom looks like a future big leaguer👀</p><p>His final line: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItAllStartsHere?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ItAllStartsHere</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRExpress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRExpress</a> <a href="https://t.co/PwViJhCcPN">pic.twitter.com/PwViJhCcPN</a></p><p>— Round Rock Express (@RRExpress) <a href="https://twitter.com/RRExpress/status/1830324403294646566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Jacob deGrom could potentially return to Rangers’ bullpen this weekend</b></h2><p>As deGrom inches closer to his return, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/rangers-news-gm-provides-huge-jacob-degrom-injury-update">Texas Rangers are weighing their options</a>. While the plan currently calls for deGrom to make a fourth rehab start with Double-A Frisco on Saturday, the possibility of him rejoining the Rangers’ roster sooner rather than later is on the table.</p><p>DeGrom himself acknowledged this, noting, “I think it’s just seeing where we’re at with what we have here pitching, kind of how this week goes. I think if I did throw here it wouldn’t be more than three [innings]. So depending on where the bullpen’s at, and then what we think…whether they want me to go four innings, that would be there in Frisco, or three possibly here.”</p><p>Rangers manager Bruce Bochy <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jacob-degrom-nears-return-to-rangers" rel="noopener">confirmed that discussions are ongoing</a>, but emphasized a cautious approach, stating:</p><p>“That’s always an option, but I don’t think that’s what we’re going to do. If something happened, and we were in a position where we thought we needed to do it and it was fine with Jacob, yeah, we would do it. But for now, the plan is still for him to start down there [in Frisco].”</p><p>As he continues his recovery, deGrom remains focused on the bigger picture, carefully considering the best course of action for his return.</p><p>“We’re going to weigh all these options,” deGrom said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to feel good throughout this whole process, so I think at this point now, it’s just to make sure we don’t do anything not smart. Just like what is the best path, or smartest path forward.”</p><p>Whether Jacob deGrom makes his return this weekend with the Frisco RoughRiders or rejoins the Texas Rangers during their upcoming West Coast road trip, one thing is clear: his comeback is imminent.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
32	1.69	14	1.13	0

2024 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
32	1.69	14	1.13	0

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