Jacob deGrom MRI on his shoulder shows "considerable progress"
After undergoing an MRI on Monday, the Mets got positive news about their ace's health.
This has not been something that we’ve been able to say much over the past year but the Mets got positive news regarding their ace’s health status today.
An MRI conducted on Monday revealed “considerable progress” for Jacob deGrom, who has officially been cleared to begin loading and strengthening of his right shoulder, the team announced. deGrom will undergo more imaging in three weeks to track his progress.
This comes as major news to a club that’s already managed to become the first team in baseball to 13 wins and has a put together a 2.2 fWAR (2nd best in MLB) and 2.46 ERA (3rd best) from their starting rotation in his absence. Now, with the known progress in health for their ace, this club can begin to fantasize about even grander possibilities.
Of course, deGrom’s return to the major league mound should not be immediately anticipated as he has yet to be cleared to begin a throwing program. Once he is, deGrom will begin what is essentially his new Spring Training as he works his arm back into the place it needs to be in order to be ready for the challenge. It should be noted that deGrom only pitched five innings this past spring before being shut down with a stress reaction in his right scapula on April 1st.
deGrom also missed the final two-and-a-half months of the 2021 season, so there has not been a ton of reps for his arm over the last year now.
New York’s rotation has performed admirably in his stead, as fill-ins Tylor Megill and David Peterson have flourished with a combined 1.70 ERA over seven appearances, but adding baseball’s best pitcher back into the mix will undoubtedly bring an extra level of legitimacy, high-end upside and depth to this rotation. When he does return the Mets will have a decision to make when it comes to the state of their rotation but with the performances of Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt and Carlos Carrasco, in addition to Megill’s breakout and the impending return of Taijuan Walker later this week, New York may choose to implement a six-man rotation that allows all of these pitchers a chance to start while giving everyone an extra day of rest.
With the recent injury history and overall age of this rotation (deGrom, Scherzer, Bassitt and Carrasco specifically have an average age of 34.5), baking in an extra off-day for these starters wouldn’t be the worst plan in the short-term. Plus, in the event that there will be another injury in the future, which is to be expected over the course of a 162-game schedule, the Mets would be able to revert to a five-man rotation while keeping everyone stretched out and on schedule at the major league level.
Suffice to say, getting deGrom back into the fold is now a huge boost for this organization and this news, albeit a very early step, is positive. And though we likely won’t see him back in the big leagues until July at the earliest, the knowledge that their ace may be returning just in time for a midsummer run could be enough to lift this team to new heights.