Will Jacob deGrom pitch again this season? Whatever the answer is, it won’t be affected by the Mets’ placement in the standings if and when deGrom is ready.
Prior to the Mets’ 7-2 win over the Dodgers on Sunday, acting GM Zack Scott said the team will want to see deGrom in action in September, if he’s able, whether or not the team is in the playoff hunt.
“I think we’ll want to get him out there just to see where he’s at,” Scott told Mike Puma of the New York Post. “The goal would be to eliminate a potential question mark heading into the offseason.”
The Mets’ ace has not pitched since July 7, and was placed on the 10-day IL on July 18 (retroactive to July 15) after returning from the All-Star break with right forearm tightness. deGrom has dealt with numerous issues this season, yet he is 7-2 with a 1.05 ERA, a 0.55 WHIP, and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings over 15 starts.
An MRI on August 12 showed improvement of the inflammation and swelling in his right elbow, but deGrom’s shutdown was extended for two more weeks, with another MRI to come this week. He may start to ramp up depending on those results, but as he was moved to the 60-day IL last week when the Mets claimed Heath Hembree, deGrom is ineligible to return until at least September 13 anyway.
After missing close to two months, deGrom would likely need a few outings to get going, so wonder now shifts not to if or when deGrom returns, but how – Noah Syndergaard is close to resuming a rehab assignment and could come back in a relief role, and given the Mets are 61-62 and seven games out in both the NL East and Wild Card races, it’s possible deGrom’s return could result in intentionally shorter outings.
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