The Houston Astros try to break a four-game losing streak behind starter Framber Valdez against Rangers ace Jacob deGrom

Jacob deGrom is an All-Star ace again after several injury-filled seasons. This is his fifth All-Star nod, his first for the Texas Rangers and in the American League.

On Friday, deGrom decided to pass on being the Rangers’ lone representative, relieving manager Bruce Bochy, who said per Jeff Wilson, “He’s been carrying a pretty heavy workload coming off the surgery. We want to monitor his workload this year. So, yeah, there’s a big relief for us.”

Two of the more recent World Series champions do battle in Texas when the Texas Rangers visit the Houston Astros in an American League West matchup. The Astros, who won the World Series in 2022, sit atop the AL West while the Rangers,

He was expected to be the ace of a pitching staff that would carry the team deep into the 2023 playoffs. Instead, he spent most of the year on the injured list and watched from the dugout as the Rangers won the first World Seirs championship in franchise history.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — There was no flirting with perfection this time for Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom against the Orioles. Just another impressive start for the two-time Cy Young Award winner in his comeback from elbow surgery.

Texas Rangers ace Jacob deGrom extends MLB-best streak in win over Baltimore Orioles, showing elite form in front of a packed home crowd.