Jacob deGrom shutdown for four weeks with shoulder injury
Jacob deGrom shutdown for four weeks with shoulder injury
Jacob deGrom underwent an MRI on Friday morning, which showed a stress reaction in his right scapula.
There is no joy in Metsville.
Following a late-night scare on Thursday that revealed RHP Jacob deGrom was experiencing right shoulder tightness, an MRI revealed today that the club will be without its ace for the foreseeable future.
DeGrom has a stress reaction in his right scapula, the club announced. DeGrom will be shut down for the next four weeks and re-evaluated by club doctors before determining next steps.
This news comes as a devastating blow for this organization, less than a week shy of Opening Day. It is no secret that the Mets’ hopes for contention have always relied on the availability of deGrom, and that rings even more true entering a 2022 season that carries lofty expectations. This club is built on the back of their two-headed monster atop their rotation with deGrom and Max Scherzer and it will now be difficult to envision the Mets reaching their true potential without their ace for an extended period of time. Now, instead of complimenting deGrom, Scherzer will act as the team’s ace insurance policy.
Presumably, deGrom will need a full ramp up before being activated from the injured list from the point he resumes throwing, whenever that happens.
If there’s any good news with deGrom’s injury, it doesn’t seem to involve the rotator cuff, capsule or labrum.
The bad news is, bones take time to heal.
So, where will the team go from here?
For starters, everyone in the rotation moves up a slot which means Scherzer will be a go for Opening Day in Washington followed by Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker. After that, the club will have to take a look at who they want as their fifth starter while deGrom is on the shelf. RHP Tylor Megill was very impressive as a rookie last season and has had a strong camp, so he could give the club the highest upside. If the team would prefer someone with a more reliable track record, the job could go to veteran RHP Trevor Williams, who pitched to a 3.06 ERA and 2.71 FIP as a swingman after the team acquired him last summer. They could also choose to add a lefty to the mix and go with David Peterson, though both are coming off of injury-shortened 2021 seasons.
The Mets could also look to procure another major league starter in trade and/or major league experience that can be stowed away for additional depth at Triple-A Syracuse.
DeGrom, whose 1.94 ERA since the start of 2018 is far-and-away the lowest in all of baseball, first dealt with health issues last season, as he missed the entire second half with multiple injuries. The Mets went 31-48 over their final 79 games without deGrom last year, only underscoring his incredible importance for this team.