New York Mets pitcher Jacob DeGrom is undoubtedly one of the best pitchers in all of baseball when healthy. Unfortunately for Mets fans, staying healthy has been the problem for the two-time Cy Young winner, who has not thrown over 100 innings in any of the last three seasons.
He has not appeared yet for the Mets two months into the 2022 season due to a stress reaction in his right scapula that caused inflammation, but it appears that he is ramping up for a return in the not-so-distant future.
The 34-year-old appeared in his first rehab start for Class A St. Lucie on Sunday, where he faced six batters and struck out five in an impressive performance. He will likely need to go through more rehab starts to return for the Mets, but he provided an update on how he was feeling after the game on Sunday.
“It feels 100 percent,” said DeGrom on his right shoulder. “Just have to make sure moving forward that it feels good and continue from there.”
This is certainly a good sign for Mets fans who are hoping to see DeGrom return to the big leagues as soon as possible.
New York has been excellent so far this season without DeGrom, currently sitting atop the NL East with a 49-30 record. Adding a superstar-caliber pitcher like DeGrom back into the mix could push them over the hump and make them the clear favorite in the National League. That is, assuming he comes back as the Jacob DeGrom that Mets fans know and love.
[SNY]