Rangers’ deGrom could clash with Mets rookie in anticipated Citi Field comeback

It's a return that has anticipated every since the right-hander left Queens for Arlington prior to the 2023 season and Major League Baseball is just over one week away from it.

As the Texas Rangers continue their path to an American League playoff spot, they have to navigate a tough schedule over the next 10 games, including a series finale against Arizona on Wednesday. The other three teams are AL West-leading Houston Astros, the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and NL East contender New York Mets.

It's more than just a tough schedule bout but also a homecoming for the Rangers' ace Jacob deGrom, who will likely get a chance to toe the rubber in Citi Field for the first time as a visitor next week.

deGrom on pace to duel with Mets' rookie Nolan McLean in Citi Field return

Every since the Rangers skipped deGrom's start on August 20, Texas has been starting the right-hander every sixth game giving him five full days of rest. If all things remain, the 37-year-old Floridian will make his next start this weekend against the Astros.

While that would mean he misses out on a crucial series against the Brewers, that puts him perfectly in line to start the series opener on September 12 against the team that drafted him, the New York Mets.

To add an extra layer of intrigue, the Mets' rotation schedule has rookie right-hander Nolan McLean potentially slotting into that spot on Friday as well.

deGrom was drafted by the Mets in the ninth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. During his Mets' tenure he was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2014, a four-time NL All-Star, the 2018 NL ERA leader, two-time NL strikeout leader and back-to-back NL Cy Young winner in 2018 and 2019.

The 24-year-old McLean was a third round picks by New York in 2023 out of Oklahoma State. He made his MLB Debut earlier this season and has impressed with a 4-0 record, 1.37 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP in 26 1/3 innings. A handful of people are already calling him the next deGrom for the Mets after only four big league starts.

Texas did visit Citi Field during the 2023 season but it was later in the year after deGrom was ruled out for the season after undergoing his second Tommy John Surgery in April of that year. Now, Mets' fans will get a chance to welcome him back and hopefully he can put on a show and get Texas a win to kick off that weekend series.

Meaningful deGrom innings in September is exactly what Rangers hoped for

There was a lot of speculation on whether deGrom would see any September baseball given his injury history but he's been a healthy surpirse.

deGrom leads the team in innings pitched with 150 1/3 innings, his most since the Cy Young 2019 season. In the 26 games this year, he's 11-6 with a 2.69 ERA, 161 strikeouts, 33 walks, .194 opponent batting average and a 0.92 WHIP.

It's exactly what President of Baseball Operations Chris Young was hoping to get from deGrom when he signed him to the five-year deal beginning in 2023. Sure, he would've liked to see deGrom as a fixture alongside Nathan Eovaldi and Jordan Montgomery to clinch the World Series title two years ago, but that's not how it always works.

Instead, Young will gladly settle for getting meaningful innings from deGrom late in the season as the red-hot Rangers continue their torrid late season stretch and hope to find a way to get into the playoffs by regular seasons end.