How worried are the Rangers about ace’s innings if they reach the postseason?

The looming question that just will not go away during Jacob deGrom's stint with the Rangers has been "How healthy is his arm?" The answer this year is pretty healthy but the team has undoubtedly been safe about it all year.

Rangers clubhouse management have played it safe all season with every pitcher in the staff. Incredibly clutch gap starts from Jacob Latz have allowed deGrom, Tyler Mahle, Nathan Eovaldi, Jack Leiter and now Merrill Kelly get extra rest allowing the group to pace themselves.

Now that we are in crunch time with other key injuries, Latz has been upgraded to a starting role and options to give starters rest are slim, which mean the team needs deGrom to step up now more than ever in the final two weeks of the season.

Why would Jacob deGrom be limited by innings?

The Rangers were adamant before the season started that deGrom did not have a set innings limit. In a Jeff Passan article from March, they said they will monitor his velocity and overall looks of his motion, body language and overall a close monitoring of his health to see if any measures need to be taken for him.

deGrom is signed beyond this year and has a hefty price tag attached to him. A run to the playoffs would likely include two more regular season starts, a Wild Card start and multiple starts in the ensuing three rounds of the postseason, if Texas could make if that far.

That is an extremely large amount of innings to have him eat just for a chance at a World Series. The depth of the Rangers' starting pitching would have to show its teeth to allow deGrom to limit his innings and get the most out of the innings he would pitch.

This is all perfect scenario as well. There is a much darker scenario that does involve him getting a minor injury along the way. He has had multiple pop up throughout the season despite how well it has gone for him.

There is no reason to expect injury but it is always a possibility. Small injuries on top of lengthy right arm injuries for deGrom will always give fans hesitancy to completely buy in to his long term health.

What should Rangers' fan expect during deGrom's final regular season starts?

The Rangers have been very clear about their plan for the playoffs with this regime: whatever means necessary. There is precedent with the 2023 run for fans to go in optimistic about the plan with deGrom.

Max Scherzer was notably hurt seemingly the entire run to the World Series. While being banged up, the Rangers would get three starts and 9 2/3 innings out of him. A late season muscle strain would knock him out for what the team believed to be the season and ended up with him returning in the ALCS.

This is notable because the Rangers regime is almost identical to that years. If deGrom is awake and willing to throw a baseball, he will likely be on the mound for the Rangers.

deGrom may have a ring for 2023 but still has 2015 to look back on. Pitching on the biggest stage again is one of his biggest goals remaining in his career. Winning a World Series ring while playing would be the peak of the future Hall of Famers career.

The number one thing to focus on is getting to the playoffs. They will likely allow him to pitch all out in his two remaining regular season starts, barring an unfortunate last minute tail spin out of contention. There is a long way to go until playoffs are even a possibility so it will be an all hands on deck push to then.