Jacob deGrom exits Rangers sta...

The Texas Rangers are holding their breath on Jacob deGrom, like many feared they might have to after they lured him from the New York Mets this past offseason. The two-time Cy Young winner exited a start Friday with an apparent injury after throwing 3.2 shutout innings. He didn't appear to be in serious pain or discomfort, but still left after speaking with Rangers manager Bruce Bochy.A couple hours later after a 5-2 Rangers win over the New York Yankees, Bochy told reporters deGrom left with forearm tightness and would be further evaluated on Saturday. The decision was reportedly described as "precautionary," but that won't stop alarm bells from ringing for many fans, as forearm tightness can often be the precursor to many serious issues, including the dreaded Tommy John surgery. Injury woes have sadly become a recurring feature of deGrom's career, though that didn't stop the Rangers from giving him a five-year, $185 million contract in free agency last offseason. Due to injuries and the shortened 2020 season, deGrom hasn't pitched more than 15 starts in a season since 2019. He hit the 60-day injured list last season with a stress reaction on his right scapula and in 2021 with, gulp, right forearm tightness. He hasn't played a full season without hitting the IL since 2017. This isn't the first time the Rangers have had reason to worry in 2023, as he also left his first spring training start with left side tightness. When healthy, deGrom is the most dominant pitcher in baseball, with a 2.09 ERA, a 0.865 WHIP and 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings since his first Cy Young season in 2018. It wasn't hard to understand why the Rangers wanted him, but they had to understand they were signing up for stressful nights like Friday, even if his subsequent evaluations come out clean.