'The goal is to pitch this year': deGrom faces live hitters for 2nd time

BOSTON -- Jacob deGrom faced hitters for the second time on Aug. 12 at Fenway Park ahead of the Rangers’ matchup with the Red Sox. Manager Bruce Bochy said deGrom threw approximately 40 pitches while facing Ezequiel Duran and Travis Jankowski over two innings.

“I felt really good,” deGrom said. “Like I said before, the main thing is just now dialing in the offspeed stuff. My changeup was good, but my slider was a little bit inconsistent. It's gonna be about trying not to do too much when a batter steps in. But everything felt good, the location, honestly everything. My first inning, I thought, was really good. Then the second one, I kind of wasn't locating at all, so that's the next step. Just lock everything in and go from there.”

"Nasty," Jankowski said of deGrom. "I think he looked like a two-time Cy Young Award winner, one-time ERA leader. That's why he is where he is, right? Not easy to pick up, ball gets on you really quick, and he's really, really good."

The plan is for him to face hitters in live BP one more time before they decide when and where he will go on a rehab assignment.

General manager Chris Young continues to emphasize that timelines are fluid regarding injuries. But an eye on a late August or early September return still remains the key.

“The goal is to pitch this year,” deGrom said on Aug. 3. “The goal is to get back out there and help this team and hopefully help us get to the playoffs. … I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”