Speaking with reporters for the first time since he suffered another setback last week, Jacob deGrom clarified that the elbow inflammation he is currently dealing with is different from the forearm tightness that initially sidelined him after the All-Star break, adding another entry to a long list of injuries the Mets ace has had to battle through this season.
"Of course you never want to feel anything in your elbow," deGrom said on Tuesday. "Concerning? Yeah, I mean I don't like it, I want to be pitching. That's one of the most frustrating things. I feel like I was having the best year of my career. These little bumps and setbacks and now this, it's definitely frustrating and a little concerning."
DeGrom said his elbow is feeling better, but he has yet to begin throwing again. Well, at least not with his pitching arm. Keeping in line with the competitor deGrom is, he has played some catch left handed to maintain some sense of activity during a shutdown that he called "boring."
"How it feels this past week I think is a plus," deGrom said of his elbow. "I haven't thrown, but moving it around feels fine."
While his elbow is feeling better, it will still be another 10 days before he will receive another MRI on his elbow to track the progress of his inflammation. He said he hopes to return by the end of the month, but with the next MRI not due until mid-August, and with deGrom needing time, and almost certainly a rehab assignment, to ramp back up since he hasn't pitched in a month, there is the possibility that it will be a September return, if there is a return at all.
But right now, deGrom is keeping hope that his season isn't over, though the upcoming MRI will shed more light on that.
"I would say no, not right now," deGrom said when asked about concerns that his season is finished. "It depends on hopefully the next image of the inflammation."
The Mets could sure use deGrom back, as he was putting together an MVP season, posting a 1.08 ERA with 146 strikeouts over 92 innings.
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