Jacob deGrom can still be 2nd-fastest to 2,000 career Ks after triceps shortened last start

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jacob deGrom is set for another chance to become the second-fastest pitcher to 2,000 career strikeouts when he is scheduled to start for the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, a week after pitching only two innings in his previous game because of triceps fatigue.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Wednesday, which would have been the right-hander's normal turn in the rotation, that deGrom recovered well after a bullpen session the previous day, and will start the series finale against Washington.

“Feels good, so good to go,” Schumaker said, adding that deGrom won't be on any specific limitations. “We'll watch it and just kind of talk to him in between innings to make sure everything's good.”

The two-time Cy Young Award winner has 1,998 strikeouts in 1,660 1/3 innings over 271 starts since his big league debut in 2014. DeGrom has 147 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings this season.

Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson got his 2,000th strikeout in his 262nd game for the quickest by games, ahead of Clayton Kershaw’s 277. Chris Sale holds the record by innings at 1,626, with Yu Davish’s 1,697 1/3 currently second.

At 38, DeGrom (8-8, 3.95 ERA) is trying to become the ninth active player and 94th all-time to reach the milestone. He would be the fourth this season, following Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray and Aaron Nola.

DeGrom struck out three in the two innings he pitched in a 7-0 loss at the Los Angeles Angels last Thursday, when he gave up two runs and five hits in a 32-pitch second inning. He has also been dealing with left hip and glute issues over the past month or so.

“He’s got a lot going on ... so any extra days right now at this time of the year for our pitchers are huge,” Schumaker said. “But for DeGrom to get the extra rest, I know he didn’t want it, but for everything going on, hopefully it’s beneficial.”

After his Cy Young Awards with the New York Mets in 2018 and 2019, and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season when he led the National League in strikeouts for the second year in a row, deGrom made only 35 starts total from 2021-24 because of a series of injuries. He missed most of 2023 and 2024 because of elbow surgery after making only six starts in his first season with Texas .

The active leader with 3,554 strikeouts is Justin Verlander, who at 43 is the oldest player in the majors and is retiring after this season . He has made only one start this year for Detroit, on March 30 before going on the injured list because of left hip inflammation. He then sustained a left hamstring strain during a bullpen session in mid-June.

Verlander is eighth on the career list, 20 behind Hall of Famer Don Sutton for seventh. The strikeout king is Nolan Ryan with 5,714 over 27 seasons before he retired in 1993 at age 46.

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