The Texas Rangers haven't skipped a beat since ace pitcher Jacob deGrom went on the IL on April 28th. The hard-throwing righty went on the IL when he experienced elbow pain and had to be lifted from his start.
With their ace on the IL for so long, you would expect Texas to struggle, but that has not been the case. The team has compiled an impressive ERA of 2.64 since deGrom 's injury.
Texas manager Bruce Bochy gave an update on deGrom over the weekend, stating he wouldn't be ready for another two or three weeks. This would give him a mid-late June return date.
The Rangers starting rotation must keep stepping up in place of their ace for a bit longer. Jacob deGrom is one of the best in the league when healthy, so there's no rush in his rehab.
"Really truly remarkable... Big credit to Mike Maddux. Making Jon Gray look like an All-Star and Eovaldi look like a Cy Young!" - one fan tweeted.
"That's actually insane" - another fan tweeted.
Texas Rangers fans have praised pitching coach Mike Maddux. He rejoined the team after Bruce Bochy was named manager in the offseason. Maddux's first stint with the team was from 2009-2015.
Fans cannot contain their excitement for deGrom's return. They believe they'll have one of the best starting rotations when he's back and healthy.
Texas Rangers look like true contenders
The Texas Rangers have truly come out swinging this season. They are 34-19 and lead the American League West by three games over the Houston Astros. They haven't slowed down since the season started.
Rangers' starting rotation is a big part of the team's success, but that's not all. They've been getting incredible performances from various players this year.
Adolis Garcia has been on fire this season. He's hitting .244/.309/.497 with 14 home runs and a league-leading 49 RBIs. He's not just doing it with his bat, either. He leads all outfielders in outfield assists with eight.
Another player having a fantastic start to the 2023 season is Marcus Semien. He had a poor start last year in his first season with the Rangers. He turned it around at the end of the year and kept that momentum going. He's hitting .298/.368/.486 with a league-leading 47 runs scored this season.
Texas has looked impressive this season. They have players stepping up when needed and have put themselves in a great position to stay ahead in the division.