Rangers transfer Jacob deGrom to 60-day IL, pushing return to at least late June

The Texas Rangers transferred Jacob deGrom to the 60-day injured list on Monday, pushing back the return of the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner until at least late June.

DeGrom hasn’t pitched since April 28, when he exited early because of injury concerns for the second time in a span of three starts. He was placed on the 15-day IL the following day after an MRI showed inflammation in his right elbow. Another MRI and additional testing are now planned.

The transfer to the 60-day IL makes June 28 the earliest he could be activated.

“We don’t see anything before that as a possibility,” general manager Chris Young said. “It hasn’t improved maybe as quickly as we had hoped.”

DeGrom was back with the team Monday after going home to Florida for the birth of his third child. He flew there after a bullpen session Wednesday in Detroit, which was his fifth since getting hurt.

The Rangers signed deGrom to a $185 million, five-year contract last December after he had played his first nine big league seasons with the Mets. He was limited by injuries to 156 1/3 innings over 26 starts his last two years in New York.

AL West-leading Texas has won all six games started by deGrom (2-0), but the right-hander has pitched only 30 1/3 innings. He has a 2.67 ERA with 45 strikeouts and four walks. He threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the New York Yankees on April 28 before leaving that game because of discomfort in his arm.

Transferring deGrom to the 60-day IL opened a spot on the Rangers’ 40-man roster to activate Spencer Howard from the 60-day IL. Howard missed the first 58 games because of a right lat strain.

Reporting by The Associated Press.