Veteran pitchers Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are set to rejoin the Texas Rangers’ rotation later this week following extended absences due to injuries.

 

Rangers manager

Bruce Bochy announced on Tuesday that deGrom will make his return to the mound on Friday, while Scherzer is scheduled to pitch on Saturday. Despite their return, the Rangers are still in a challenging position in the AL playoff race, trailing six games behind the final wild-card spot.

Bochy mentioned, “They could pitch around five innings or approximately 60 pitches, but if things are going smoothly, they might be able to go a bit longer.”

DeGrom, 36, will be making his season debut after missing over a year due to Tommy John surgery. The two-time Cy Young Award winner has struggled with injuries for the past five seasons. His last appearance for the Rangers was on April 28, 2023, his sixth start after signing a five-year, $185 million contract as a free agent. He underwent surgery six weeks later.

Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, has been sidelined for about six weeks with a shoulder injury. He has also dealt with issues from offseason back surgery and a thumb injury. At 40 years old, Scherzer has a 2-4 record with a 3.89 ERA in eight starts this season.

Additionally, the Rangers will feature prized prospect Kumar Rocker on Thursday. The 24-year-old, who is making his MLB debut, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft.