The Texas Rangers placed ace Jacob deGrom on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, the club announced Saturday.
DeGrom was forced to exit his start Friday against the New York Yankees in the fourth inning due to forearm tightness.
This is the third time deGrom has been placed on the injured list with an elbow issue. He missed time in both 2018 and 2019 due to elbow injuries. The two-time Cy Young winner underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010.
"There's no need to push him," Rangers general manager Chris Young said Saturday, according to Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News.
DeGrom is in the first season of a five-year, $185-million contract. The 34-year-old was off to a fast start in his first season with the Rangers, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.67 ERA and 45 strikeouts across 30 1/3 innings.
The hurler is one of baseball's premier starting pitchers but has struggled to stay healthy during his career. DeGrom started just 26 games over the past two campaigns with the New York Mets and hasn't made 30 starts in a season since 2019.
Right-hander Dane Dunning came on in relief of deGrom on Friday and is expected to slide into the rotation in his absence. The 28-year-old owns a career 4.26 ERA over 71 appearances (61 starts) during his four-year career.
