Rangers' deGrom to make season debut Friday vs. Mariners

Jacob deGrom will make his long-awaited return to the Texas Rangers' rotation Friday against the Seattle Mariners, the club announced Tuesday.

DeGrom has been sidelined since April 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL.

The 36-year-old is one of the league's most dominant pitchers when healthy, owning a microscopic 2.53 ERA and 11 K/9 across parts of 10 MLB seasons. Health has been a limiting factor, however, as deGrom hasn't made more than 15 starts in a season since 2021.

The Rangers will also welcome back Max Scherzer on Saturday.

"They could go five innings, 60 (pitches), somewhere in there," manager Bruce Bochy said, according to David Brandt of The Associated Press. "If innings are going real smooth, they could go back out."

DeGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, joined the Rangers on a five-year, $185-million contract ahead of the 2022 campaign.

Texas entered Tuesday six games back of the final AL wild-card spot with a 70-74 record.