Jacob deGrom dominates at the Rangers’ rehab start and moves ever closer to his return to the MLB

He is rehabbing after Tommy John surgery, and deGrom is expected to make at least one more rehab appearance – possibly next Sunday or Tuesday – before returning to the active roster.

The two-time CY Young winner made his first rehab appearance on Thursday for Double-A Frisco after four days off, allowing one run on two hits and striking out three batters in a two-inning performance.

Over the course of his two starts, deGrom has thrown 37 of his 53 pitches for strikes, and the Rangers appear willing to allow him to complete some of his major league rehab under close observation.

“There is rehab that is happening at the level of the big leagues,” Rangers general manager Chris Young said, according to the Dallas Morning News. “It happened with [Tyler] Mahle. There is a responsible way to slowly reintegrate him in the final phase of rehabilitation.”

Even though the Rangers’ playoff hopes are dwindling, deGrom seems determined to return to the mound for Texas before the end of the year.

Partly to support his off-season training.

“You go through that process and I’ve been fortunate to feel pretty good throughout and not have any setbacks. I think it would be more comforting to go out there, make a couple of starts, hopefully every five days, and then you can treat it a little bit more like a normal offseason,” deGrom told MLB.com. “I feel like if I don’t go out there, I’m going to feel like I’m in rehab mode for almost two years, whereas if I go out there and pitch and am able to and recover well, I can prepare for next season like normal.”