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Jacob deGrom

Mets Notes: Cano, Rotation, Manager

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Robinson Cano has now served the 162-game suspension he received a year ago after testing positive for Stanozolol, the second time he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in his career. That means he’s back on the Mets’ depth chart with two years remaining on his contract, making $24MM in each of 2022 and 2023. An optimistic Mets fan could be excited by his return, given Cano’s incredible 2020 campaign wherein he hit .316/.352/.544, an incredible wRC+ of 142 in his age-37 season. Of course, a pessimistic fan could say that “incredible” is the operative word and use the positive test as reason to expect reduced production in 2022.

Team president Sandy Alderson discussed the issue with Tim Healey of Newsday. “How he is received will depend on how he conducts himself and explains himself between now and spring training,” Alderson said. “A good deal of how the fans will respond is dependent on how he conducts himself.” When asked about how the clubhouse would respond, Alderson said, “I think the same will apply.”

Cano is now 39 and one year removed from MLB action, although he is playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic in order to prepare for the upcoming season. The fact that he’s still owed $48MM makes it difficult to see the club releasing him or finding a trade partner, placing them in the awkward position of having to put him back out there and hope that he can return to form. As Alderson said, “I don’t think there will be any change in his [roster] status between now and spring training.”

Alderson also discussed the team’s rotation, saying that they are looking for upgrades there. “Starting pitching is definitely something we need to address,” he said, stressing that they will be open to adding both at the top end of the rotation, as well as depth options. On paper, the rotation currently consists of Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco, Tylor Megill and David Peterson, who all dealt with either injury or underperformance in 2021. But there’s also the big unanswered question of Noah Syndergaard, who has until November 17 to decide whether or not to accept the $18.4MM qualifying offer the Mets extended to him. If he were to accept, he could potentially slot behind deGrom as the team’s #2, but after Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2020 and limited him to just two innings in 2021, he also comes with uncertainty. As for deGrom, who went on the IL with elbow inflammation on July 18 and never returned, “Do I expect Jacob to be back 100%? Yes,” Alderson said. “But as with all pitching, we’ll see.”

Uncertainty seems to be the running theme with the Mets, as they are also still looking to hire a manager and a general manager. As for the former, Alderson doesn’t seem particularly concerned, saying, “a list [of possibilities] is not that difficult to put together.”

Mets Shut Down Jacob deGrom

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Mets manager Luis Rojas told The Athletic’s Tim Britton (Twitter links) and other reporters that ace Jacob deGrom has been shut down for the remainder of the 2021 season.  “There’s no sense to” letting deGrom pitch in what would essentially be a meaningless game, Rojas said, adding that deGrom would likely have been deployed if the Mets had still been in the running for a playoff spot.  The skipper also said that there was no physical reason deGrom was unable, as the right-hander came out of a Monday side session looking “fine to pitch.”

The news officially ends deGrom’s season at 92 innings, with an 1.08 ERA and a set of extraordinary peripherals backing up the right-hander’s work.  What was looking like a third Cy Young Award-winning campaign was hampered by several minor injuries, however, before deGrom was placed on the 10-day IL (and then the 60-day IL) with forearm tightness.

His rehab work contained at least one setback, and further concerns arose when Mets president Sandy Alderson said that deGrom had recovered from the “lowest-grade partial tear” in his right UCL.  DeGrom went on record denying this statement, saying “my ligament is perfectly fine.”  Rojas and acting GM Zack Scott had also previously said deGrom’s elbow issues weren’t related to any structural problems, which only added to the confusion over deGrom’s status.  Today, Rojas stated that deGrom was expected to be ready for Spring Training.

Of all the problems that befell the Mets in 2021, losing perhaps the sport’s best pitcher for such an elongated period of time might have been the biggest setback.  While the team continued to insist that deGrom would indeed be back at some point, New York’s nosedive in the standings made it something of a moot point.  The Mets are 17-34 over their last 51 games, and are mired in a stretch of 10 losses in their past 11 games.

It isn’t any surprise that the Mets are now prioritizing deGrom’s 2022 readiness over a token relief outing or two, and next season is shaping up as particularly important one for both the team and the ace righty.  DeGrom can opt out of his contract following the 2022 campaign, leaving his $30.5MM salary for 2023 (and the Mets’ $32.5MM club option for 2024) on the table in search of a more lucrative free agent deal.  As great as deGrom’s track record has been, he’ll need to display good health in what will be his age-34 season in order to land such a contract if he does choose to opt out.

Mets Notes: Syndergaard, deGrom, Baez

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Noah Syndergaard could be back on the Mets’ Major League roster on Tuesday, per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports (via Twitter). Syndergaard made two rehab appearances, setting him up for a week in the Mets’ bullpen before the offseason. The 73-81 Mets have not much to play for in this final week of game action, but there may be a small victory in once more seeing Thor suit up in a Mets’ uni before he hits free agency this winter. Syndergaard has not pitched in the Majors since 2019.

In other Mets’ news…

  • Jacob deGrom continues to work his way back to full health after a frustrating and somewhat obfuscating extended absence. The Mets’ ace went on the injured list for the second time 71 calendar days ago. It wasn’t clear at the time that he would be out long-term. He threw a bullpen session recently, which could put him on track to make one appearance this year, per Healey. Once a clear-cut Cy Young frontrunner, deGrom is likely to finish the year with a 1.08 ERA/1.23 FIP across 15 starts totaling 92 innings.
  • Javier Baez would be very much open to returning to the Mets next year to continue playing alongside his countryman and close friend Francisco Lindor, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. Baez has put up an exceptional .303/.377/.538 line since joining the Mets, adding up to an impressive 4.3 rWAR/3.6 fWAR total for the year. The polarizing star will be an unrestricted free agent without a qualifying offer attached, so while he enjoys playing alongside his pal in New York, it may come down to a question of price point. For the Mets the issue is allocation of resources, as they already has Jeff McNeil and Luis Guillorme under team control, as well as Robinson Cano coming back from suspension. As well as Baez has played, the Mets may have greater needs elsewhere.

 

Injury Notes: Snell, Boyd, deGrom, Nimmo

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The big storylines from today’s Padres-Dodgers game all revolve around Max Scherzer. Not only did he become just the 19th pitcher in Major League history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts, he also threw an immaculate inning and carried a perfect game into the eighth inning. However, the opposing clubhouse didn’t have nearly as much to celebrate. Padres reliever Austin Adams tied a modern-day record for hit batsmen in a season and Blake Snell left the game after just 11 pitches with what the club later announced as “left adductor tightness”, also known as a groin injury.

This is very unfortunate timing for both the club and Snell, as they are in a crowded playoff race and he was just starting to turn his frustrating season around. Following a miserable outing against Oakland on July 28th, Snell was sitting on an ERA of 5.44 through 84 1/3 innings, with an elevated walk rate of 14.3%, well above this year’s league average of 8.7%. However, since that time, the lefty seemed to have got into a groove and righted the ship, throwing 43 2/3 innings with 65 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.85, along with a much-improved walk rate of 8.6%.

The severity of the injury isn’t clear at this point. But with the club currently tied with the Reds for the last National League Wild Card spot, with the Cardinals just a game back and other teams looming, every remaining game is tremendously important. Rotation health has been an ongoing issue for the club in the past few months, so much so that the club signed Jake Arrieta a few weeks ago to try and paper over the injuries. However, Arrieta landed on the IL himself and hasn’t been terribly effective in his two appearances with the Friars. Losing Snell for any amount of time, especially when he was throwing so well, would surely be a blow to their chances.

Some other injury updates…

  • Matt Boyd is meeting with elbow specialist Keith Meister, Tigers manager AJ Hinch tells Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. “He is scheduled to see Dr. Meister in Dallas and then we’ll get further evaluations and opinions and see what’s next for him,” Hinch said. While a meeting doesn’t necessarily spell doom, this is a potentially concerning development, given that Meister is often associated with Tommy John surgery. McCosky points out that Meister recently performed the procedure for Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, but the doctor has also recently taken the knife to Tyler Glasnow and many others. If any kind of serious surgery is required, it would be very poor timing, given that Boyd is currently slated to reach free agency after the 2022 season. The 30-year-old is playing this year on a $6.5MM salary and can be controlled for one more year via arbitration. Boyd’s name has been often mentioned as a trade candidate for the rebuilding Tigers in recent years, though a deal has yet to come to fruition. A lengthy surgery rehab could further dent any trade value he has left and also hurt Boyd’s chances to cash in on his quality career via free agency. Since the start of 2016, Boyd had given the Tigers 727 innings with an ERA of 4.75, accruing 10.2 fWAR in that time.
  • The Mets provided yet another vague update about Jacob deGrom, as manager Luis Rojas tells Anthony DiComo of MLB.com he is scheduled to throw off a mound, “maybe this week.” deGrom was on his way to a brilliant season before elbow issues put him on the shelf in July. Through 92 innings this season, he has an ERA of 1.08 with an excellent walk rate of 3.4% and an absurd strikeout rate of 45.1%. Given that there’s only three weeks remaining in the season, it seems that the chances of those winding up as his final numbers are growing.
  • In better news for the Mets, the prognosis for outfielder Brandon Nimmo seems to have improved. DiComo gives some details of the onfield workout Nimmo took part in today and says that Nimmo believes he can return to face Philadelphia, whom the Mets start a three-game series with on Friday. Going into tonight’s game against the Yankees, the Mets are 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot and would surely love to get Nimmo back into the mix to help with their postseason push. In 77 games this year, the 28-year-old has hit .302/420/.415, an excellent wRC+ of 139.

Latest On Jacob deGrom

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SEPTEMBER 9, 5:40 pm: Jon Heyman of the MLB Network reports that there’s only “an outside chance” deGrom will make it back this season.

SEPTEMBER 9, 4:45 pm: deGrom released a statement to reporters (including Mike Puma of the New York Post) this afternoon addressing his health status. “I know what was said and my ligament is perfectly fine. I have been throwing and I wouldn’t be if I had a compromised ligament. That’s the plan to continue to throw and build up and see where we end up.”

SEPTEMBER 8: Mets ace and two-time NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom hasn’t pitched in a game for two months now. The Mets, in somewhat typical fashion, have provided vague updates on his health throughout the process, repeatedly citing clean MRIs while simultaneously pushing back throwing sessions and shutting him down for additional spells to provide further relief from the inflammation in his elbow.

However, team president Sandy Alderson revealed to reporters last night that there was indeed something more concerning at play, though he insists the issue has now “resolved itself” (link via Newsday’s Tim Healey). DeGrom, according to Alderson, had the “lowest-grade partial tear” possible in his right ulnar collateral ligament.

That’s a much different outlook than was provided by manager Luis Rojas and acting GM Zack Scott, both of whom said at different points in the recovery process that there was no structural damage in deGrom’s elbow. Scott said back on July 30 there was no damage in the ligament, per Healey, and Rojas made the same assertion on Aug. 13. Clearly, surgery was not deemed necessary in the end, and Alderson insists that the ligament is now “perfectly intact” after two months away from game action. Nevertheless, it’s a rather perplexing contradiction from prior messaging on deGrom’s prognosis.

Any mention of even slight UCL damage for a pitcher is concerning — particularly when it’s regarding someone who has already undergone Tommy John surgery once in his career (prior to his MLB debut, in deGrom’s case). Alderson’s insistence that this is essentially a non-issue at this point could be taken as a sigh of relief for Mets fans, but those comments will be ripe for scrutiny if this does ultimately prove to be a more serious situation down the road.

At last check, the Mets had suggested that a best-case scenario for deGrom would be to appear in a few games late in the season — likely only in “abbreviated” fashion. The latest comments from Alderson don’t do anything to change that trajectory, but the transparency into deGrom’s diagnosis lends some critical context and clarity with regard to the team’s cautious approach in handling him.

DeGrom, 33, has pitched 92 innings this season and logged a superhuman 1.08 ERA with similarly absurd strikeout and walk percentages: 45.1 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively. He’s still owed $64MM from 2022-23 combined (albeit with $27MM of that sum deferred 15 years), and his five-year, $137.5MM contract also contains a $32.5MM club option for the 2024 season. He can opt out of the remaining guaranteed year following the 2022 season.

The Mets trail the Braves by four games in the National League East and are three and a half games behind the Padres and Reds in the Wild Card standings.

Latest On Jacob deGrom

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Mets ace Jacob deGrom is roughly 10 days away from beginning bullpen sessions, a team official tells MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.  With this timeline in mind, deGrom’s best-case scenario would be a return in late September, though perhaps for only a game or two at the most.  “Even then, it’s likely only to be in abbreviated spurts,” DiComo writes, so deGrom could be something of a glorified opener more than a proper starting pitcher.

Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner updated reporters (including Mike Puma of The New York Post) on deGrom’s current work, saying that the former NL Cy Young Award winner has been playing catch at 75 feet.  Once deGrom reaches 125-130 feet, a bullpen session can be considered.

In short, there still isn’t much clarity about whether or not deGrom could return to the mound at all this season.  It is fair to say that the Mets’ place in the standings will play a factor, as if the Mets aren’t in the playoff race, the team could decide to just shut deGrom down.  That said, Hefner noted that “It just depends on how he reacts to the throwing.  It’s no different than if we were in April.  The timeline doesn’t change because we are in September.  Obviously we want him to pitch, but we have to go through the necessary steps to make sure that he’s not only healthy this season, but he’s also healthy for the rest of his career.”

DeGrom last appeared in a game on July 7, as he was placed on the injured list due to forearm tightness and elbow inflammation.  This 10-day IL stint was extended to a 60-day placement following a setback in his rehab, so deGrom isn’t eligible to return until September 15, though it appears he won’t be back when first eligible.

This long absence has spoiled an all-timer of a season for deGrom, who posted a 1.08 ERA over his first 92 innings of the season.  While a lack of hitting has been the biggest problem for the Mets this season, it isn’t hard to imagine that a healthy deGrom could have carried New York into a playoff position, considering the Mets entered the day four games back in both the NL East race and the wild card race.

Mets Claim Heath Hembree, Transfer Jacob deGrom To 60-Day Injured List

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The Mets have claimed right-handed reliever Heath Hembree off waivers from the Reds, per a club announcement. Ace Jacob deGrom was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. The Mets have already been without deGrom for more than a month, and he wasn’t expected back until September anyhow. He’ll be eligible to return on Sept. 15.

Hembree, 32, was serving as the Reds’ closer earlier this summer before a rough few weeks caused his ERA to balloon up to a dismal 6.38 mark. Unsightly as that ERA is, Hembree was lights-out from late June through late July, pitching to a 1.42 ERA with a 19-to-5 K/BB ratio and racking up seven saves in a span of 12 2/3 innings. That hot streak obviously came in a very small sample, but it’s worth noting — and this is likely what drew the Mets to him — that Hembree has been among the game’s best in terms of missing bats all season.

Among the 321 pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings this year, Hembree’s 38 percent strikeout rate is the game’s seventh-highest mark. He’s tied for 15th in that same set of pitchers with a 27.4 K-BB% and sits 18th with a 2.84 SIERA. He’s largely been done in by the long ball this season, serving up 10 dingers in 44 2/3 innings of work (2.13 HR/9). Seven of those home runs have come at the extremely hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, however, where Hembree’s ERA is north of 8.00. He’s been much better on the road, and a change of scenery could do him some good.

As for deGrom, the Mets said last week that he’d go at least another two weeks without throwing, so it’s unlikely he’d have been able to return much sooner than Sept. 15 anyhow. Once he starts throwing, he’ll need to build up sufficient arm strength to get back to the mound and hopefully make a few starts for the Mets down the stretch as they look to pull out of the spiral that has seen them fall from a comfortable lead in the NL East to a sub-.500 record and a five-game gap between the now-division-leading Braves.

Jacob deGrom Won’t Resume Throwing For At Least Two More Weeks

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Jacob deGrom hasn’t thrown since a July 30 setback in his recovery from elbow inflammation prompted a two-week shutdown. With that initial shutdown having passed, there’d been some hope deGrom could restart his throwing program in the coming days. That, however, won’t be the case.

Mets manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News) that deGrom’s shutdown will last at least another two weeks. Rojas stressed that deGrom isn’t dealing with structural damage and that the inflammation is improving. That said, it’s apparently not progressing quickly enough for him to begin throwing again before late August, at the earliest.

Hope remains that deGrom will be able to return to the majors at some point this year. That window of opportunity’s dwindling, though, with just seven weeks remaining in the regular season. In a best case scenario, deGrom begins a throwing program two weeks from now. He’ll need some time to build up arm strength before he can embark upon a minor league rehab assignment.

The Mets could expedite that rehab process by building deGrom up to work in shorter stints, just as they’re leaning towards brining Noah Syndergaard back as a relief weapon. In such a scenario, deGrom could still serve as a starting pitcher, but scheduling constraints make it unlikely New York will have the luxury of building deGrom up to work 100+ pitches with regularity for the stretch run.

Needless to say, losing the best pitcher in baseball has dealt a tough blow to the Mets. deGrom looked to be coasting to his third career Cy Young Award (and potentially the NL MVP award) early in the season. Over fifteen starts, the 33-year-old tossed 92 innings of 1.08 ERA/1.74 SIERA ball.

Despite a series of injuries to key position players, the Mets remained in first place in the NL East for much of the early summer — thanks largely to deGrom’s absurd level of dominance. A bout of forearm tightness sent him to the injured list on July 18, though. The accompanying elbow inflammation is now set to cost him at least a significant chunk of the season’s second half.

The Mets have fallen on hard times in recent weeks. New York has gone 11-13 since placing deGrom on the IL, with the rotation posting a disappointing 5.71 ERA/4.74 SIERA over that time. The skid — coupled with the Phillies’ recent hot streak — has put the Mets a half game back of Philadelphia and a half game up on the Braves in a tightly-contested division race.

Obviously, there’s still plenty of opportunity for the Mets to take ahold of the division. They’ll have to go at least a majority of the stretch run without their ace, though, leaving New York relying on a starting staff including Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco, Tylor Megill, Taijuan Walker, Rich Hill and Trevor Williams.

That’s still a talented group, but there’s also a fair bit of uncertainty. Stroman has been excellent all year, and the unheralded Megill has stepped up with 45 innings of 3.20 ERA/3.80 SIERA ball over his first nine big league starts. (Tim Britton of the Athletic explored Megill’s rapid rise in the organization this morning in a piece that should be of interest to Mets fans). The veteran group at the back of the rotation comes with plenty of question marks, though.

Carrasco has only made three starts this year because of a hamstring tear. He’s a highly accomplished pitcher at his best, but it remains to be seen if the 34-year-old will be able to pitch at his peak level down the stretch. Walker began the year well but he’s been hit hard over his past five starts. Hill has pitched well overall but seen his swinging strike rate plummet recently, and Williams struggled with the Cubs and has only made a single MLB appearance for the Mets to date.

NL East Injury Notes: deGrom, d’Arnaud, Anderson

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Mets ace Jacob deGrom spoke with reporters today, including Tim Healey of Newsday Sports, about his mounting injury woes. He said that his recent elbow inflammation is a separate issue to the forearm tightness that initially landed him on the IL. That forearm tightness caused deGrom to be sidelined on July 18th. A week later, it was reported that he threw off a mound without issues. But a report a few days later revealed the unfortunate development that his rehab would have to be halted for two weeks.

At this point, deGrom seems to think he can come back but doesn’t seem to be overflowing with confidence. When asked if he could miss the remainder of the season, “I would say no, not right now,” he said. “It depends on hopefully the next image of the inflammation.” Before getting injured, deGrom was pitching even better than his own absurdly-high standards, with a microscopic ERA of 1.08 over 92 innings, coupled with outstanding strikeout and walk rates of 45.1% and 3.4%, respectively. The health of deGrom figures to be an extremely important detail in the NL East stretch run, as the Mets are now just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Phillies and 2 1/2 ahead of Atlanta.

More news from around the NL East…

  • Travis d’Arnaud is apparently back to full health and rehabbing, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. d’Arnaud has been out of action for more than three months now, after tearing a ligament in his thumb back in early May. Bowman says that his thumb is now fine and that the catcher’s rehab is “just a matter of getting conditioned to play.” A healthy and productive d’Arnaud is potentially a game-changing addition for Atlanta in the upcoming pennant race. Although he had a slow start to this season before getting hurt, his 2020 was superb, slashing .321/.386/.533, for a wRC+ of 144 and 1.6 fWAR in just 44 games. Currently, Atlanta is giving time behind the dish to Stephen Vogt and Kevan Smith, neither of whom are providing much value.
  • Bowman also relays that Ian Anderson will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday. Anderson went on the IL a few weeks ago with shoulder inflammation. Before getting hurt, he was putting together a solid season. Over 96 innings, he had an era of 3.56, producing 1.9 fWAR, which is second only to Charlie Morton among Atlanta pitchers.

Jacob deGrom Shut Down Another Two Weeks Following Setback

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Mets ace Jacob deGrom has suffered a setback in his rehab from a forearm issue, as recent testing revealed additional inflammation, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link). He’ll be shut down from throwing entirely for another two weeks.

It’s already been more than three weeks since deGrom pitched in a game, so he’ll need some form of rehab assignment or buildup once he’s ready to begin throwing again. Given that, it’s hard to imagine him returning to a big-league mound for the Mets prior to September.

The Mets have a 3.5 game lead in the National League East. Neither the Braves nor Phillies – their closest competitors – made significant splashes at today’s deadline, though both clubs did add some pieces in an attempt to contend with New York. The Nationals and Marlins both sold pieces, and the Mets face that pair 11 times in the coming month.

In terms of their own deadline, the Mets clearly had their pitching depth in mind, though they weren’t able to make a significant addition to that end, and besides, no one can fill deGrom’s shoes. Carlos Carrasco is returning, however, and Trevor Williams was a fine pickup from the Cubs as a depth option (he was optioned to Triple-A). Still, the Mets’ viability as a contender would seem to hinge on deGrom’s long-term health.

Clearly, this will be a situation to monitor moving forward. The trade deadline has passed, so the Mets are what they are for the most part, but hopefully, another couple of weeks of rest will be enough to figure out how to get deGrom back on track and ready for the postseason push.

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