It is always gut-wrenching to watch a player go out of a ballgame, and even more so when it is a pitcher, as usually the worst-case scenario tends to happen. However, that is not looking to be the case for the Texas Rangers and Jacob deGrom.

deGrom was forced out of the ballgame in his last start, which came on the road against the Los Angeles Angels back on August 13, after he was getting somewhat beaten up out there. Luckily, testing ruled out anything scary, and he was diagnosed with triceps fatigue.

That being said, deGrom was feeling well enough to throw a bullpen session, which is exactly what he did Tuesday afternoon, and everything was encouraging. Now, manager Skip Schumaker stated that deGrom won't be taking the hill on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals, but Thursday is not out of the question.

The Nationals are boasting one of the best offenses in baseball and with the Rangers right on the tail of the Houston Astros, who sit atop the AL West, they need their pitching staff to be at its very best, and if Schumaker can put deGrom out there for the series finale, that will feel pretty dang good.

What the Rangers Playoff Race Currently Looks Like

After a masterful performance by Cal Quantrill Tuesday evening, where he went seven shutout innings against Washington to secure a 5-0 win, the Rangers find themselves back in the bottom wild card slot, but even more impressive is the race in the division.

The Rangers got quite beat up during their road trip to California as they dropped five of their seven games between the Angels and the Athletics, which put them in a three-game hole behind the Astros. But after this victory, they are now a measly game behind their in-state rivals.

As Texas seemingly finds itself in the worst division in baseball with no teams over .500, they must outlast the Astros, and winning the AL West would be much better than gambling for the final wild card spot.

So, the Rangers need to ride this momentum for as long as humanly possible, which will continue with Kumar Rocker on the mound tomorrow, looking to secure the series against the Nats. This month hasn't been kind to Rocker, so it is important he sets the tone early and finds the strike zone.

One thing is for certain: if this ballclub wants to be playing October baseball, then they have to have deGrom firing on all cylinders, and after his bullpen outing, it appears that he is ready to do just that.