The Texas Rangers transferred oft-injured right-hander Jacob deGrom to the 60-day injured list on Monday, meaning the earliest he can return to the mound is June 28.

The 34-year-old deGrom has been sidelined with right elbow inflammation since last pitching on April 28. He is slated to undergo another MRI exam and additional testing.

Rangers general manager Chris Young said progress has been slow.

"We don't see anything before that as a possibility," Young said of deGrom possibly returning on June 28. "It hasn't improved maybe as quickly as we had hoped."

Texas was hoping for a big season from deGrom, who signed a five-year, $185 million deal this past offseason.

But the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner with the New York Mets has encountered more arm woes like those that plagued him in recent seasons. He made just 38 starts and pitched 224 1/3 total innings over the past three seasons with the Mets before departing as a free agent.

In six starts this season, deGrom is 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA and has 45 strikeouts and just four walks in 30 1/3 innings.

In nine seasons with the Mets, deGrom went 82-57 with a 2.52 ERA in 209 starts. He won the Cy Young Award in 2018 and 2019, logging 217 and 204 innings in those seasons, respectively.

Transferring deGrom to the 60-day IL also opened up a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Spencer Howard (right lat strain), who was activated from the 60-day IL. Howard, 26, spent the previous two seasons with Texas and went 2-7 with an 8.24 ERA in 18 appearances (16 starts).

The Rangers also optioned right-hander Jonathan Hernandez to Triple-A Round Rock. Hernandez, 26, is 1-1 with a 6.65 ERA in 25 relief appearances for Texas this season.

--Field Level Media