SURPRISE, Ariz. — Former Mets ace Jacob deGrom got here out of his first bullpen session of spring coaching for the Texas Rangers on Thursday feeling good after not throwing off a mound the primary eight days of camp together with his new workforce.
“It was a small step, but a step in the right direction,” deGrom stated.
The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner was held out of the Rangers’ first official exercise Feb. 15 due to tightness in his left aspect. He threw off flat floor 4 days after that, and had thrown about six bullpen periods earlier than attending to Arizona.
The right-hander threw 22 pitches, all of them simple fastballs, throughout Thursday’s session. About half the pitches have been from a half-height mound, and he then completed on a regulation mound.
“They said just nice and easy,” deGrom stated of what coaches instructed him to do. “The goal of today was to just go through my delivery, stay nice and smooth. … Not trying to do too much, let everything get in line, and let my delivery be nice and clean.”
DeGrom stated the plan transferring ahead was to maintain progressing, construct up his pitch rely and get in some video games. His first bullpen session got here a day earlier than the Rangers’ scheduled Cactus League spring opener, and precisely 5 weeks earlier than the common season opens at house March 30 in opposition to NL champion Philadelphia.
“Felt really good,” he stated. “The past few days have felt really good, felt back to normal.”
Texas signed deGrom to a $185 million, five-year contract in December. The 34-year-old deGrom spent the primary 9 years of his huge league profession with the Mets, however accidents restricted him to 156 1/3 innings in 26 begins over the previous two seasons.
After lacking the ultimate three months of the 2021 season with proper forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, deGrom was shut down late in spring coaching final 12 months due to a stress response in his proper scapula. He didn’t pitch within the huge leagues final season till August, then grew to become a free agent for the primary time.
He felt what he known as minor tightness in his left aspect after attending to Arizona, and instructed workforce officers about it. His proper arm has felt good all through.
“The last thing you want to do is come in and say, ‘left side’s a little sore.’ But, you know, we were cautious with it,” deGrom stated. “Looking at it now, I think that was the right step. You’ve still got time to build up and get ready.”
New Rangers supervisor Bruce Bochy, who spoke to reporters earlier than Thursday’s exercise, stated the day prior to this that there have been no considerations about deGrom’s delay getting on the mound.
“Well, you look at the throwing he did before, we decided to back off a little bit,” Bochy stated. “It’s not any concern on our part, especially where we’re at in spring training here. … He feels great.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com