Mets fans are devastated at the news that Jacob deGrom will miss Opening Day and be shut down for at least a month due to a stress reaction in the scapula of his right shoulder, but Buck Showalter isn't panicking.
"The sky's not falling," Showalter said. "It's raining."
It is an all-too familiar precipitation for the Mets, who dealt with a number of nagging injuries for deGrom last season, from his lat to his shoulder and then to his elbow, which sidelined him for the rest of the season after July. DeGrom, when healthy, is arguably the best pitcher on the planet, and New York, entering a season with so much promise after having one of the most active offseasons and biggest spending sprees over the winter, has lost its best player for at least the first month of the season.
But Showalter isn't letting the news impact his expectations in his first season as manager, especially with a more-than-capable Max Scherzer ready to slide into the ace role (though Showalter still didn't commit to Scherzer taking the ball on Opening Day).
"You prepare for those things," Showalter said. "The 'what ifs' are always around the corner, and I'm surprised it's been this long. Knock on wood, that's good."
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
