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Jacob deGrom was considered one of, if not the most dominant, pitchers of the past decade. The former New York Met won back-to-back Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019 and was elected to four National League All-Star teams.
During his dominant stretch from 2018 to 2020, he maintained a WHIP of under 1.00 and a cumulative 2.10 ERA. He tallied 628 punchouts across 489 innings during this time, which made him a fantasy baseball cheat code. Since then, deGrom has been known to battle several injuries, which have greatly affected his value in fantasy baseball almost every season to this date.
After making a short debut with the Texas Rangers last season, the now 35-year-old underwent his second Tommy John surgery in June 2023, which currently sets him up for a possible return to the mound late this season.
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Jacob deGrom Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball
Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today reported that deGrom recently began a throwing program in February of this year. This step is one of the first in his routine to return to live games. While he only started his journey this past month, it is encouraging to see deGrom throwing again.
Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young expressed the current status of deGrom’s potential return this season. In February of this year, he explained that the initial return date is targeted for August, which is in line with a normal recovery process.
Jacob deGrom says he started to throw Monday and will be throwing again today. #Rangers
— Jeff Wilson (@JeffWilsonTXR) February 14, 2024
However, this date could drastically change for better or worse as deGrom continues to slowly amp up his work.
Jacob deGrom Fantasy Baseball Outlook
Seeing that Jacob deGrom just began a throwing program last month, it is improbable to see him as a valuable fantasy asset this season. Let’s say that deGrom makes his season debut in August, as general manager Chris Young suggested. That leaves deGrom with opportunities to potentially appear in games over, at best, the season's final two months.
I miss watching Jacob deGrom pitch 😔 pic.twitter.com/gcoSSxXasm
— Louis Addeo-Weiss (@addeo_louis00) March 17, 2024
To make matters worse, he may not even be throwing deep into games and could even be deployed out of the bullpen when he first returns. As a result, it is difficult to picture an outcome where deGrom is helpful in fantasy this season.
In redraft formats with a few injured list (IL) spots, it is best to leave deGrom on the waiver wire for now. Your pitching staff will most likely endure several injuries throughout the season, making the idea of stashing deGrom not worthwhile.
However, in dynasty/keeper formats or deeper leagues with unlimited IL spots, it is worth kicking the tires on the former two-time Cy Young winner. Even if he only makes a handful of starts in September, they could significantly affect your roster at that time.
deGrom remains a sneaky IL stash at the moment that could give your fantasy team a jolt in the stretch run.
I miss watching Jacob deGrom pitch 😔 pic.twitter.com/gcoSSxXasm
— Louis Addeo-Weiss (@addeo_louis00) March 17, 2024
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