This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/rangers as Rangers Ace Jacob deGrom Has One of Most Devastating Breaking Balls in MLB. In an effort to help keep Jacob deGrom healthy, the Texas Rangers devised a game plan that would have him scale back his velocity.

The ace of the Texas staff has pitched like one. But how many innings does he have left as the Rangers float around playoff contention?

deGrom won't be on the same team as his former Mets brethren on Tuesday when he suits up for the All-Star Game. But he did get the opportunity to reflect on his tenure and what it means to reconnect in his third season away from the Big Apple.

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.

How the Rangers would handle Jacob deGrom in his first full season back from elbow surgery was a mystery all spring as he met every challenge and looked better and better with each outing. Here’s how they handled him: They’ve basically let him just be, which, all things considered, seems like a pretty good idea.