The Mets were not happy with the velocity Jacob deGrom reached in his first rehab start earlier this month, along the lines of thinking that his constant effort for max velocity has been a source of his recent arm and shoulder issues.
Could the same be the reason Tylor Megill is now on the shelf with a right shoulder strain after missing a month with biceps tendinitis?
If you ask Megill, the answer might be yes, as he told Newsday’s Tim Healey over the weekend that the velocity increase “could be a reason” for his injuries.
“It’s very tempting, obviously, when I’ve had this whole velo bump, to be throwing hard,” Megill told Healey. “It’s exciting. But it’s not working to my benefit to throw that hard every inning, every pitch, and watching it dip down.”
Megill’s average fastball velocity was a career-high 94.6 MPH last year, but it has jumped to 95.7 MPH this year, topping out at 99.1 on Opening Day – leading to him declaring that he would hit triple digits.
He now knows, however, that should be an occasional goal, not the goal of every heater.
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“It’s there when you need it, but you don’t need it all the time,” Megill told Healey. “It’ll keep my velocity smooth cruising throughout the whole game instead of being 97, 98, 99 the first couple innings and then I’m dying down to 94, 95, 96. And the hitters, once they see me a couple times, the ball looks a lot slower, so if I can go deeper into games and still have that velo where I can let it fly, it’s kinda like another pitch in the back pocket.”
Megill’s rehab has been going well, and he plans to throw for the first time since being shut down later this week. And he’s been listening to his pitching coach, Jeremy Hefner, who has pushed him more towards a Max Scherzer model of consistent velo cranked up when needed.
“I just need to keep my head around staying in that range and not trying to get too crazy with it; I’ve just been trying to reprogram to not chase numbers,” Megill told Healey. “I guess the whole Scherzer/ Verlander deal: sit at a certain velocity and use the velo when I need it. Scherzer has never had an arm injury. That’s the whole point, staying healthy.”
The 26-year-old was a revelation for the Mets last year and pitched like an ace in April, going 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA and taking the Opening Day start by default when Jacob deGrom was shelved. However, the arm issues creeped up, and he allowed 11 runs in 6 2/3 innings over two starts in May, went on the IL, and then gave up six runs in 6 2/3 in two June starts before landing back on the IL.
Megill was moved to the 60-day IL on June 27, so he isn’t eligible to return until mid-August – at which point the Mets hope to have their full rotation intact with Jacob deGrom back.
It’s likely Megill will end up in Syracuse when that return happens, but he could be a big part of the Mets’ future rotation plans, as four of their five top starters have team or player options or opt-outs for 2023, so he’s working on reining it in.
“Obviously, it’s cool to throw hard to a point, but at the end of the day, you want to stay healthy and have your career and longevity.”
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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