DeGrom takes step forward with 1st rehab outing
FRISCO, Texas — Jacob deGrom has taken his biggest step yet toward getting back on a big league mound this season, something that’s important to Texas’ ace right-hander even with the Rangers essentially out of playoff contention.
DeGrom pitched in a game for the first time since April 28, 2023, throwing 29 pitches over two innings in a minor league rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Thursday night.
The defending World Series champions started the day 10 games back in the AL West with 34 games remaining, so the return of the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner doesn’t figure to make a difference in the race.
It will be notable for the 36-year-old and the franchise that gave deGrom a $185 million, five-year contract in free agency before the 2023 season despite an extensive injury history. He made just six starts before being sidelined by his second major elbow surgery.
“It’s very important,” said deGrom, who struck out three after giving up two hits and a run to start his outing. “That way, I can treat the offseason a little bit more normal. If I don’t get out there, it’s going to feel like I’ve been rehabbing all that time through, whatever that is, almost a year and a half.”
Location was a problem, deGrom thought, but he threw 21 pitches for strikes. The four-time All-Star mixed fastballs, including one at 100 mph for his first strikeout, with sliders and a few changeups.
DeGrom said those are likely to be the only three pitches he throws in a game this season, and he isn’t sure how many rehab assignments he will need.
“I don’t think we’ve gone that far yet,” deGrom said. “One step at a time. Make sure I bounce back tomorrow, then we’ll come up with a plan from there.”
DeGrom spent his first nine major league seasons with the Mets, but threw only 156⅓ innings over 26 starts his last two years in New York.
He missed the final three months of 2021 with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, then didn’t make his first big league start in 2022 until Aug. 2, after being shut down late in spring training because of a stress reaction in his right scapula.
Texas won all six games started by deGrom (2-0, 2.67 ERA) last season before he got hurt. His last game was against the New York Yankees when he exited early because of injury concerns for the second time in three starts. The surgery was June 12 last year.
The competitive juices were flowing for deGrom. He appeared to be joking with the home plate umpire at one point, but said he was actually questioning a pitch that was called a ball.
“Once you get out there, you’re competing,” deGrom said. “That’s what we love to do. I’ve missed a year of it and kind of like want to be out there. This is the first step of it.”
Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer was supposed to take a step toward a return from right shoulder fatigue with a rehab start at Frisco on Friday night.
The Rangers scratched that plan with Scherzer and said there was no immediate word on what would be next for the 40-year-old who has been limited to eight starts by offseason back surgery along with nerve and arm issues during the season.
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.
Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.
O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.
Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.
In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “ready to play,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday on his weekly radio show.
Napier removed Lagway from the team’s injury report and penciled him in to start against No. 21 LSU in the Swamp on Saturday.
Lagway practiced every day this week while progressing from a strained left hamstring. The highly touted freshman was carted off the field against Georgia on Nov. 2. Tests revealed a “less significant” injury than initially feared, and now he’s back in time to face the Tigers.
The Gators (4-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) need him. They have to win two of their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible.
LSU (6-3, 3-2) has struggled mightily against dual-threat QBs, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns last week.
Lagway returns after walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner started in his place against Texas. Warner threw two interceptions and was 12-of-25 passing for 132 yards in a 49-17 loss.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
No. 12 Georgia will be without leading rusher Trevor Etienne for Saturday’s showdown against No. 7 Tennessee.
Etienne was downgraded from questionable to out on Thursday night’s SEC availability report.
Etienne left Georgia’s win over Florida with an upper-body injury on Nov. 2 and did not return. He played limited snaps in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards.
Etienne leads the Bulldogs with 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.
The loss is another blow to Georgia’s banged-up backfield. Cash Jones is also listed as questionable while Branson Robinson remains out after missing the past three games with a knee injury.
That leaves true freshman Nate Frazier as the only healthy Bulldogs running back who has played meaningful snaps this year. Frazier is second on the team with 333 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
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