The Texas Rangers have to feel a little bit anxious with the newest development around pitcher Jacob deGrom on Saturday.
deGrom will not start on Saturday as scheduled due to neck stiffness. The Rangers are optimistic that the injury is not serious, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
Jacob deGrom has been scratched with neck stiffness; Jacob Latz will start in his place. The Rangers do not believe this is serious and he could start later on the road trip
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) March 28, 2026
Despite the assurances, the Rangers cannot feel great about this. 2025 was deGrom’s first healthy season in four years, as he made 30 starts with a 2.97 ERA and looked like his old self. There had been no real concern about his health going into this season, so this is a bit worrisome.
The good news for Texas is that it does not appear to have anything to do with deGrom’s arm, which has been the big issue over the last few seasons.
The Rangers are coming off an underwhelming 81-81 season and hope to get back into contention for a playoff spot in 2026. They will need deGrom healthy in order to do that.
