The Texas Rangers are in a rough stretch, dropping three straight games and falling two games below .500 after losing three of four to the Los Angeles Angels.
Their latest defeat was particularly concerning, as ace Jacob deGrom was forced to leave Thursday night’s 7-0 loss after only two innings because of right triceps fatigue.
deGrom surrendered two runs on six hits before exiting, prompting manager Skip Schumaker to take no chances once the pitcher reported discomfort in his triceps.
The veteran right-hander was charged with the loss, moving his record to 8-8 with a 3.95 ERA, but the bigger concern is whether the issue could force him to miss future starts.
The potential loss of deGrom would be a major setback for Texas, especially with Nathan Eovaldi already unavailable.
Despite their recent struggles, the Rangers remain within striking distance of the postseason, sitting just two games behind the Houston Astros and only a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers for the third AL Wild Card position.
Keeping deGrom healthy could be critical to their playoff hopes.
There is at least some optimism from deGrom himself, who said he is not overly concerned and hopes to make his next start. The Rangers are scheduled to have him undergo imaging on Friday to determine the severity of the injury.
If the results show only a minor issue, he could avoid the injured list, but a more serious diagnosis could leave Texas without both of its top starters for an extended period and severely damage its postseason chances.
