SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Dozens of Texas Rangers players, coaches, front-office members and other staffers congregated between two of the back fields at Surprise Stadium's sprawling complex on Thursday morning, keeping their eyes fixed on one of the furthest bullpens, where Jacob deGrom, about a week removed from suffering tightness in his left side, got off the mound for the first time with his new team.
DeGrom threw just over 20 pitches, all of them fastballs, and was told to keep it "nice and easy."
"It's a small step," he said later, "but a step in the right direction.