Jacob deGrom is headed for the second Tommy John surgery of his career, and may not be able to pitch again until he is 36 years old.
It is a big loss for baseball, losing the best pitcher on the planet to another injury, and deGrom took it hard when talking with reporters on Tuesday.
“It stinks,” deGrom said. “You want to be out there. it’s just not ideal. But I’m gonna give it all I got and come back. Gonna set a goal to be back next year towards the end of the year, so work towards that.”
By that point, deGrom couldn’t hold back tears anymore as the emotions of missing more than a year got the best of him.
“I want to be able to be out there and help them win. It stinks,” deGrom said in between sobs. “This is what we love to do. Finding this out…wanting to be out there and helping the team. It’s a disappointment.”
Despite the hard news and deGrom’s tears, he vowed to put his all into his recovery and get back in 2024 to help the Rangers, a team that was only able to watch him pitch for their group for less than a month.
“I went through this before, and I know what it takes to get back,” deGrom said. “So that’s the goal. Go out there, rehab the best I can, and be around to help any way I can.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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