(Port Saint Lucie) New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom will have to sit out for quite some time due to inflammation in his right shoulder, worrying news for the Mets, who have big ambitions this season after notably signing ace Max Scherzer under contract.
Posted at 4:46 p.m.
DeGrom will not pitch for the next four weeks and no return date has been set, the Mets announced Friday.
The two-time Cy-Young winner was scheduled to kick off the opener next Thursday against the Washington Nationals. Now the starting rotation, with Scherzer’s three Cy-Youngs and the addition by trade of star pitcher Chris Bassitt, has just suffered a serious setback.
After a sensational start last year, deGrom did not pitch in the second half of the season due to a sprained elbow. He was 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA in 15 outings, but the Mets crumbled without him to finish 77-85 after leading the National League East for 103 days. He made his last start on July 7 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The right-hander came to camp healthy this year and allowed one run in five innings in Grapefruit League games, striking out 10 batters. He made his most recent appearance on the mound Sunday against the Cardinals.
Earlier this spring, deGrom said he planned to exercise his contract option only to end it after this season and become a free agent.