Veteran catcher Kyle Higashioka, who caught deGrom’s two perfect innings of work on Saturday, had more effusive praise. In his first outing of the spring, deGrom struck out three against Kansas City in two innings, needing just 31 pitches (21 strikes) to complete his work.

The Texas Rangers saw the spring training debuts of Wyatt Langford and Jacob deGrom on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals in Surprise, Ariz.

Jacob deGrom is well aware that he hasn’t been available as much as he would like throughout the last few years of his career. His Rangers tenure consisted of just six starts in 2023 and three in 2024 with a Tommy John surgery between them.

DeGrom signed with the Rangers back in December 2022, but remains the franchise’s biggest mystery heading into the 2025 season.

Jacob deGrom hit the mound running on Saturday. In his 2025 spring training debut, the Rangers ace tossed two flawless innings, striking out three batters while not allowing a baserunner.

Rangers' veteran Jacob deGrom hopes to shake the injuries that have plagued him over the last few years as he enters 2025 feeling healthy.

It meant that deGrom, who had been scheduled to make his spring debut and pitch “one or maybe two innings,” according to manager Bruce Bochy, would be pushed back at least a day. The Rangers were still juggling their pitching schedules after Friday’s cancellation.

Rangers starter Jacob deGrom is one of the most dominant pitchers in the majors when healthy. Unfortunately, that "when healthy" caveat has been rare recently.