ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom earned his 1,900th career strikeout in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, becoming the second-fastest pitcher to that milestone by games and innings.
Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging on a 91.3 mph slider to end the first inning after Moisés Ballesteros swung and missed on a 98.1 mph fastball for the second out.
The 1,900th strikeout came in deGrom's 256th appearance, all as a starter. Hall of Famer Randy Johnson reached that mark in his 252nd game in 1997.
Johnson is second on the career strikeout list at 4,875. The left-hander was 33 when he reached 1,900, while deGrom turns 38 next month and has dealt with numerous injuries the past five years.
After the first inning, deGrom was at 1,578 1/3 for his career. Atlanta left-hander Chris Sale reached the milestone in 2019 at 1,560 1/3 innings, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
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Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob Degrom throws to the Chicago Cubs in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday May 10, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — The remains of a U.S. Army soldier who went missing during military exercises in Morocco a week ago have been recovered in the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. military said Sunday. Military teams are still searching for a second missing soldier.
The remains found are those of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 14A Air Defense Artillery officer, who was one of two U.S. soldiers who fell off a cliff during a recreational hike in Morocco while off duty. He was 27 years old.
The two were reported missing May 2 after participating in African Lion, annual multinational military exercises held in Morocco.
“A Moroccan military search team found the Soldier in the water along the shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time May 9, within roughly one mile of where both Soldiers reportedly entered the ocean,” U.S Army Europe and Africa said in a statement.
The two went missing around 9 p.m. near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, a terrain characterized by mountains, desert and semidesert plains, according to the Moroccan military.
Their disappearance triggered a search-and-rescue operation involving more than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco and other military partners. The operation deployed frigates, vessels, helicopters and drones.
Search efforts will continue for the missing second soldier, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publicly on the issue.
The official said a U.S. contingent remained in Morocco after the multinational war games ended Friday to provide command and control and to continue search and rescue operations.
Key was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, U.S Army Europe and Africa said.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with minors in international business, entrepreneurship, and business administration. He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate and earned his commission through Officer Candidate School in 2024 as an Air Defense Artillery officer. He later completed the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, according to the statement.
The search-and-rescue operation, now in its ninth day, has covered more than 12,000 square kilometers of sea and littoral zone, currently adding around 3,000 square kilometers per day.
The soldiers had been taking part in African Lion 26, a U.S.-led exercise launched in April across four countries – Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal – with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. Since 2004, it has been the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa.
In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured during a helicopter crash in Morocco’s southern city of Agadir while taking part in the exercises.
FILE - U.S and Moroccan military forces take part in the 20th edition of the African Lion military exercise, in Tantan, south of Agadir, Morocco, Friday, May 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)
