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ARLINGTON, Texas — The World Series champion Texas Rangers have two multiple-Cy Young Award winners who could return to their rotation sometime in the middle of the summer.

Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer said Saturday that he is progressing from December surgery to repair a herniated disk in his lower back, while two-time winner Jacob deGrom plans to resume throwing this spring after elbow surgery that ended his Rangers debut after only six starts.

“When we get us back here, hopefully somewhere around the trade deadline, it’s like picking up a couple guys,” deGrom said during the team’s annual FanFest.

Scherzer, 39, was a trade-deadline acquisition for the Rangers last summer, and he was 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA in eight starts before missing the last two weeks of the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs because of a strained muscle in his right shoulder. He started twice in the AL Championship Series but was forced from his start in Game 3 of the World Series after three innings because of back discomfort that eventually led to surgery Dec. 15.

“We won the World Series, so everything’s great,” Scherzer said. “You’ve got to keep the glass half-full mentality to this.”

The right-hander said he got checked out by doctors right after the season and an MRI showed a little inflammation in his back. Scherzer said he started feeling better before experiencing nerve pain in his leg and then twice had epidural injections before another MRI revealed the herniated disk.

“I wasn’t doing anything. Like I wish I could tell you that that was actually jumping off a boat or something crazy,” Scherzer said. “I’m literally hobbling around chasing kids. That was the most extent of what I was doing.”

Scherzer said he has gotten past a crucial six-week period post-surgery without any complications.

“Now it’s just in the stage of just building back up of where I can get back into it and at the same time [figuring out] how to keep the arm primed as you’re navigating something where the biggest concerns are bending, lifting, twisting,” he said.

His 3,367 strikeouts are the most among active pitchers. He was 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 $185 million, five-year deal that had a conditional option to add 2028 based on the elbow surgery that limited him to 30⅓ innings. He was 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts as the Rangers won all six games he started; they would have missed the playoffs if they didn’t win at least three of those games.

DeGrom, 35, said he has started doing a plyometric training program that he will have to complete before he resumes throwing at some point this spring.

“My arm’s feeling really good,” he said. “It’s just what is smart. You don’t want to push it because you want to continue to pitch here for the next however many years. So that’s where we’ve got to kind of take a look at what is the best plan moving forward, whenever that time comes.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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MLB: Iassogna crew chief, plate umpire for ASG

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MLB: Iassogna crew chief, plate umpire for ASG

NEW YORK — Dan Iassogna will be the umpire crew chief and work the plate during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

His crew will include Marvin Hudson at first, Chris Segal at second, Jansen Visconti at third, Jeremie Rehak in left and Erich Bacchus in right, Major League Baseball said Thursday.

Iassogna, 56, will work his second All-Star Game. He was at third base for the 2011 game at Arizona.

He worked his first big league game in 1999, was hired to the major league staff in 2004 and appointed a crew chief ahead of the 2020 season. Iassogna umpired the World Series in 2012, ’17 and ’22 along with eight League Championship Series and seven Division Series.

Segal, Visconti, Rehak and Bacchus will work their first All-Star Games and Hudson his second after being in left field in 2004 at Houston.

Tony Randazzo will be the replay umpire in New York.

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A’s Rooker joins list of HR Derby participants

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A's Rooker joins list of HR Derby participants

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics slugger Brent Rooker is adding his name to the list of Home Run Derby participants.

Rooker announced Thursday that he’s participating in the event, which takes place Monday in Atlanta. He will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.

“Competing in the Home Run Derby has always been a dream of mine,” Rooker said in an Instagram post. “Can’t wait to make it happen next week in Atlanta! See ya there!”

Rooker, 30, entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.

His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among all American League players.

The only A’s to win the Derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.

Other announced participants include Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.

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Mets recall Acuna from Triple-A, DFA Jankowski

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Mets recall Acuna from Triple-A, DFA Jankowski

BALTIMORE — The New York Mets recalled 23-year-old utility man Luisangel Acuna from Triple-A Syracuse before Thursday’s split doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles.

The brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr., Luisangel Acuña went 13-for-45 (.286) for Syracuse after the Mets optioned him in late June.

Capable of playing second base, shortstop or the outfield, Acuna had batted .241 in 65 games before going to the minors.

“He was a big part of this team the first couple of months,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters. “We got to a point where we felt like, ‘Hey, let’s get him some everyday playing time. ‘And now it’s time for him to be back up here, continuing to help us win baseball games.”

In a corresponding move, the Mets designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment.

Acuna was on the bench for New York’s first game of the doubleheader.

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