ARLINGTON, Texas — The World Series champion Texas Rangers have two multiple Cy Young Award winners who could return to their rotation sometime in mid-summer.
Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer said Saturday that he is making progress since December surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back, while two-time winner Jacob deGrom plans to resume throwing this spring after elbow surgery which ended his Rangers debut after just six starts.
“When we get back here, hopefully sometime around the trade deadline, it'll be like signing a couple of guys,” deGrom said during the team's annual FanFest.
Scherzer, 39, was a trade deadline acquisition of the Rangers last summer, and went 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts before missing the final two weeks of the regular season and both early rounds of the playoffs due to a strained muscle in his right shoulder. He started twice in the American League Championship Series, but was forced to abandon his start in Game 3 of the World Series after three innings due to back discomfort that eventually led to surgery on August 15. December.
“We won the World Series, so everything is great,” Scherzer said. “You have to keep the glass half full mentality on this.”
The right-hander said doctors examined him immediately after the season and an MRI showed a small swelling in his back. Scherzer said he began to feel better before experiencing nerve pain in his leg and then received two epidural injections before another MRI revealed the herniated disc.
“I wasn't doing anything. I wish I could tell you that was actually jumping off a boat or something crazy,” Scherzer said. “I'm literally limping around chasing kids. That was most of what I was doing.”
Scherzer said he made it through a crucial six-week period after surgery without any complications.
“Now we are in the stage of rebuilding where I can do it again and at the same time [figuring out] how to keep your arm ready while navigating something where the biggest concerns are bending, standing up and twisting,” he said.
His 3,367 strikeouts are the most among active pitchers. He went 13-6 with a 3.77 ERA in 27 starts for the New York Mets and Rangers last season, with 174 strikeouts in 152⅔ innings. As part of the July 30 trade to Texas, Scherzer exercised his 2024 option and the Mets will pay Texas $30,833,334, leaving the pitcher's cost to Texas at $12.5 million.
Former Mets star deGrom went to Texas last offseason on a five-year, $185 million contract that had a conditional option to add 2028 based on elbow surgery that limited him to 30⅓ innings. He went 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts and the Rangers won all six games he started; they would have missed the playoffs if they hadn't won at least three of those games.
DeGrom, 35, said he has begun a plyometric training program that he will have to complete before throwing again sometime this spring.
“My arm feels great,” he said. “It's just what's smart. You don't want to put pressure on it because you want to continue pitching here for the next few years. So that's where we have to take a look at what the best plan is moving forward.” go ahead, when that time comes.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
