Rangers' Jacob deGrom optimistic arm ailment is minor

Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom hopes he won't miss additional time after exiting his Thursday start due to what the team announced was right triceps fatigue.

deGrom lasted just two innings in Texas' 7-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said postgame that deGrom likely would undergo a scan on his pitching arm.

deGrom spun around and looked at the mound in frustration after a pitch to Adam Frazier midway during a 32-pitch second inning that saw the two-time Cy Young Award winner allow five hits and two runs. Frazier eventually singled and scored, but deGrom remained in the game and faced three more batters to finish the inning.

"I'm not too concerned," deGrom said postgame, according to the Dallas Morning News. "Hopefully I'll make my next (start). We'll see. Tonight, there in the second, it was tight and didn't want to loosen up. I haven't really had that before."

Schumaker said postgame, "I wasn't going to risk it once I heard (it was) the triceps. When (trainer Matt Lucero) came over and told me that, that was kind of it. Long inning, that particular inning especially, but hopefully it's nothing huge."

It marked just the third career start in which deGrom pitched two innings or fewer. The 38-year-old veteran allowed two runs on six hits, walked a batter and struck out three to give him 1,998 career strikeouts. He threw 53 pitches, 35 for strikes.

deGrom was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 8-8, and he saw his ERA rise to 3.95. The five-time All-Star is on the verge of becoming the 94th pitcher in major league history to register 2,000 strikeouts, according to baseball-reference.com.

--Field Level Media