Texas is counting on a healthy season from right-hander Jacob deGrom, who will take the mound Sunday afternoon when the Rangers and Boston Red Sox wrap up a four-game series in Arlington, Texas.
Texas signed deGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, to a five-year, $185 million contract following the 2022 season, but he underwent his second Tommy John surgery in June 2023 — six starts into his tenure with the Rangers. That surgery has limited deGrom to nine starts in his two seasons with Texas, three of which came last September, when he posted a 1.69 ERA and struck out 14 in 10 2/3 innings.
“Feel good,” deGrom told MLB.com. “I think it was important for me last year to get out there for a few starts between rehab and the three major league starts so I could treat the offseason like a normal offseason and get prepared to come in and help this team win this year.”
DeGrom is 0-2 with a 2.88 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox, striking out 35 in 25 innings.
Texas has won two of the first three games in the series. Wilyer Abreu hit two homers in Boston’s 5-2 win on Thursday. The Rangers received two home runs from Jonah Heim in a 4-1 triumph on Friday, and Adolis Garcia homered and drove in three runs to help Texas earn a 4-3 victory on Saturday.
“We’ve seen it so many times here,” Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. “(Garcia) stepped up in a big way for us. … He’s a guy we depend on. He came through tonight. Just a well-played game by him.”
Boston’s Rafael Devers struck out three times in four at-bats Saturday. He’s 0-for-12 with a walk and 10 strikeouts this season. The 10 strikeouts in the season’s first three games is an MLB record.
“We’ll take the walk as a positive, but he’s not there yet,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.
Devers played third base until this season, when he became a full-time designated hitter after Boston acquired Alex Bregman. Cora said Devers would be in the lineup Sunday.
Boston rookie Kristian Campbell collected two hits in Saturday’s loss and has five in his first three games, when he’s been used at second base and in the outfield. He hit the first home run of his MLB career Saturday, but Boston was 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
“We didn’t cash in,” Cora said. “I think the bottom part of the lineup did a good job getting on base and doing other stuff. The big boys didn’t cash in, but I’m pleased with the body of the at-bats, to be honest with you.”
Right-hander Richard Fitts will be Boston’s starting pitcher on Sunday. Fitts made four starts for Boston last season and went 0-1 with a 1.74 ERA. He allowed four earned runs, struck out nine and walked seven in 20 2/3 innings. Sunday will be the first time he has faced Texas.
Texas third baseman Josh Smith left Saturday’s game in the first inning after he was injured chasing a foul ball. Bochy said Smith has a quad contusion and is day-to-day.
–Field Level Media
