​Jacob deGrom will not start Sunday for the Texas Rangers after being sidelined by a mild left glute strain that emerged during Tuesday’s outing, per a Dallas Morning News report from Shawn McFarland. As of Friday night, Texas had not decided whether the veteran right-hander will need a trip to the injured list, leaving the Rangers’ rotation plans unsettled just ahead of the trade deadline.
DeGrom, 38, has been one of Texas’s most dependable arms during a roller-coaster season, and any extended absence would force the front office to balance rotation depth with the roster moves typically seen in late July. He exited Tuesday’s start against the Los Angeles Angels after five innings and 80 pitches, allowing two runs. What was initially described as a hip issue has since been clarified by manager Skip Schumaker to MLB Trade Rumors and other outlets as a glute strain and related lower-half concerns. Schumaker said he and the pitcher discussed his current condition, noting that while today’s feeling is improved, the team will not know the full impact until a few more days of rehab and assessment.
The glute strain adds to a long history of injuries dating back before deGrom’s major-league debut. He underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2010 after a partial UCL tear at Stetson University, followed by rotator cuff tendinitis in 2014 and ulnar nerve surgery in 2016. Elbow, hip, hamstring, and shoulder issues limited his availability from 2018 through 2022, and a second Tommy John procedure in 2023 restricted him to six starts in his first year with Texas. He managed just three appearances in 2024 before a full, healthy 2025 campaign, delivering 30 starts and 172 2/3 innings—the heaviest workload since 2019.
This season has brought its own cautions in smaller doses: neck stiffness before his 2026 debut, knee soreness in April, and now the glute problem in July. Yet deGrom has still reached 100 innings in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2019, posting a 3.49 ERA and a strikeout rate around 30 percent across 18 starts. Those numbers don’t mirror his peak years with the Mets—the franchise that drafted him in the ninth round in 2010—but at 38 they reflect a form of durability that remains valuable, even when interrupted.
Texas is already navigating absence issues in its rotation, with right-hander Jack Leiter sidelined by a significant ankle injury that has opened a rotation lane for journeyman Cal Quantrill. If deGrom misses more than Sunday’s turn, the Rangers could look to their depth options, potentially calling up pitching prospect Jose Corniell, who has been in the mix for an elevation to the big-league roster. The team’s decision on a potential IL stint and any related roster moves will shape their plans as they approach the trade deadline.