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Jacob deGrom

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.

NL Injury Notes: Lamet, deGrom, McNeil, Sims, Bote

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The Padres are planning for an early August return to the hill for Dinelson Lamet, though he’s likeliest to come back in the bullpen, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Said Lamet about a possible role change, “At the end of the day, the rotation is some place I want to get back to, but I’m here to help the team. I’m here to help the team win. So, if that’s what my role is right now and that’s what I need to do to help, of course I’m going to do it.” Lamet’s primary concern is being available for the playoffs, where he could prove a vital weapon as a multi-inning shutdown reliever.

  • Jacob deGrom threw off a mound, and he’s feeling good, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). deGrom was placed on the injured list with forearm tightness, one of many seemingly minor maladies that have derailed his epic campaign at various points this season. There’s not yet an exact timetable for his return.
  • In other Mets’ news, Jeff McNeil will miss his third consecutive game with left leg fatigue, though he will be available off the bench, which is better than the previous two days, per Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). The Mets hope that McNeil will be back in the lineup tomorrow.
  • Lucas Sims will head to Triple-A on Tuesday to begin a rehab assignment, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Sims has seven saves, but just a 5.02 ERA in 28 appearances.
  • The Cubs have activated David Bote from the injured list and optioned Trevor Megill to Triple-A, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Bote started today’s game at third base, pushing Patrick Wisdom to left.

Mets’ GM: Starting Pitching “Top Priority” Before Trade Deadline

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Bolstering the starting rotation is the “top priority” for the Mets in advance of the July 30 trade deadline, acting general manager Zack Scott told Jon Heyman and Cody Decker on today’s Big Time Baseball podcast. Scott also suggested the Mets — like almost all contenders — will be on the lookout for bullpen help over the next week and a half.

New York’s rotation has been one of the league’s better units, but that’s largely thanks to the top three of Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker. Bolstering the back end was likely a priority even before deGrom landed on the injured list with forearm tightness over the weekend. Scott noted there’s no structural damage and the team is optimistic about deGrom’s prognosis, but the star hurler’s timetable remains uncertain so long as he continues to feel discomfort.

Fourth starter David Peterson is also on the IL, as are depth options Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto. Carlos Carrasco hasn’t pitched all season on account of various injuries. Carrasco is currently on a rehab assignment and nearing his team debut, but it might be difficult to count on him to shoulder too significant a workload down the stretch given his recent series of health problems.

Those injuries have led the Mets to turn to Tylor Megill (who’s performed well over his first five starts) and a revolving door of depth players at the back of the rotation. Adding a steadying, innings-eating presence to that group makes plenty of sense for president Sandy Alderson, Scott, and the rest of the front office.

Unsurprisingly, Scott didn’t tip his hand as to which specific targets the Mets were interested in acquiring. Merrill Kelly (Diamondbacks), Michael Pineda (Twins), Jon Gray (Rockies) and Tyler Anderson (Pirates) are among the mid-tier starting pitchers who could be on the move before the deadline. The Mets sent scouts to see Kelly’s last start before the All-Star Break, writes Andy Martino of SNY, although it’s not clear whether that was anything more than standard diligence. (The Mets have been linked to Kelly’s teammate Asdrúbal Cabrera, and it’s certainly possible New York has interest in other veteran players on the Arizona roster). A non-Mets source tells Martino the D-Backs’ current asking price on Kelly is “high.”

As for the bullpen, it seems New York’s open to acquiring help in any possible form. Scott pushed back against the idea the team needed a pitcher with closing experience. Edwin Díaz has struggled recently, but Scott pointed to Díaz’s track record in expressing confidence in his ability to bounce back. Díaz’s peripherals are more impressive than his 4.30 ERA, so it’s hardly unreasonable to maintain faith in the righty’s ability to hold down leads moving forward.

Scott didn’t rule out the possibility of making an addition on the position player side, but it seems pitching’s at the forefront of attention. The acting GM pointed to the returns of a few key position players from the IL and expressed comfort with the general state of the offense. New York has been linked to Kris Bryant and Josh Donaldson in recent weeks, but the Mets did welcome back third baseman J.D. Davis from the injured list over the weekend.

At the same time, the Mets lost star shortstop Francisco Lindor to the IL and they’ve been leaning on Luis Guillorme at the position. Asked whether the club could explore a shortstop upgrade, Scott said that course of action was possible but would require any incoming player to be willing to move elsewhere around the diamond once Lindor returns. As for when that might happen, Scott noted that injuries similar to Lindor’s typically come with a four-to-six week timetable. If Lindor follows that schedule, he’d be looking at a late August return date.

The Mets lost tonight’s contest against the Reds, dropping them to 49-43. They hold a two-game lead over the Phillies in an increasingly jam-packed NL East.

Mets To Place Jacob deGrom On Injured List

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The Mets are placing Jacob deGrom on the injured list, manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News) this morning. He continues to deal with forearm tightness and won’t throw until that subsides.

It’s not an unexpected development after deGrom’s throwing program was halted yesterday. Nevertheless, it’s still a tough blow to a Mets team that holds a meager 2.5 game lead in the National League East. The diagnosis of forearm tightness and seemingly uncertain recovery timeline are even more alarming, given deGrom’s status as the best pitcher in the league. (deGrom underwent a Tommy John surgery as a prospect back in 2010).

deGrom has dealt with a few health issues over the course of the season. He missed a couple weeks with side tightness earlier in the year, and he’s also been forced out of starts early with forearm and shoulder soreness. Neither of the previous arm problems required an IL stint, but his most recent injury will land him on the shelf.

When healthy, deGrom has been truly otherworldly. The two-time Cy Young award winner has worked to a 1.08 ERA across 92 innings. He has struck out an incredible 45.1% of opposing hitters, while walking just 3.4% of batters faced. A healthy second half would make him the prohibitive favorite to land a third Cy Young (and perhaps win the NL MVP award), but it’s now unclear when he’ll again take the mound.

Jacob deGrom Halts Throwing Due To Forearm Tightness

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Mets ace Jacob deGrom has been dealing with tightness in his right forearm and has been shut down until the discomfort subsides.  Manager Luis Rojas told Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News (Twitter links), SNY’s Steve Gelbs, and other reporters that an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage to deGrom’s forearm.

The problem existed prior the All-Star break, as Rojas said deGrom felt tightness while throwing a bullpen session last weekend.  The forearm tightness continued during a side session on Friday, so the Mets opted to halt deGrom’s throwing so further testing could be done.  No mention was made of the injured list, though an IL stint seems inevitable considering that the Mets will surely take every precaution in making sure deGrom is fully healthy.

DeGrom has already hit the IL once this season, missing two weeks due to tightness in his right side.  Despite that missed time and other nagging injuries, the right-hander is in the midst of his most spectacular season yet, with a record-challenging 1.08 ERA over 92 innings and a wealth of league-leading numbers in most major categories (14.3 K/9, 13.27 K/BB rate, 1.1 BB/9, and an absurd 365 ERA+).

Losing deGrom for any amount of time would be a major blow to a Mets team hanging onto first place in the NL East, and the specter of a long-term forearm injury would be nothing short of devastating.  DeGrom has a Tommy John surgery on his record, as he underwent the procedure just a few months after the Mets selected him in the ninth round of the 2010 draft.  The major surgery and a few other lesser arm problems over the years didn’t stop deGrom from becoming arguably the best pitcher of his generation, winning NL Cy Young Awards in 2018-19 and looking to be on track for a third this season.

There is no way to actually replace deGrom in the event of a longer-term absence, and the task will be even more difficult for a Mets team that was already looking to add some rotation help at the trade deadline.  The trio of deGrom, Marcus Stroman, and Taijuan Walker has been excellent, while the back end of the rotation has been a revolving door thanks to injuries and underperformance.  The team is hopeful that Carlos Carrasco will be able to make his Mets debut soon, and rookie Tylor Megill has started his career off with a 3.50 ERA in 18 innings, perhaps earning a longer look if New York can’t find a more experienced option on the trade market.

Mets Owner Steve Cohen Discusses Luxury Tax, deGrom, Stroman

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Mets owner Steve Cohen met with reporters (including Mike Puma of the New York Post and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) yesterday to discuss the team’s outlook in advance of the July 30 trade deadline. Most notably, Cohen was asked whether he’d be willing to sign off on a midseason acquisition that pushes the team’s competitive balance tax outlay north of the first threshold of $210MM.

“It’s something to think about because there is a price to pay if you go over for the following year or the year after,” Cohen said. “I am not going to go over for a million or two million. That’s stupid, so if you are going to do it, you are going to do it, so we’ll see what’s available.”

Cohen is alluding to the escalating penalties for teams that surpass the threshold in consecutive seasons. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, a club that exceeds the lowest threshold for the first time is subject to a 20% tax on the overage. Exceeding that threshold for a second consecutive year subjects the team to a 30% tax on the overage, while the club would pay a 50% tax on excess expenditures for a third consecutive season (and beyond) above that mark.

To calculate a team’s CBT ledger, the league takes the sum of the average annual values of each contract on the books in a season- not the actual payroll in any given year. For the Mets, that figure comes in just under $197MM in 2021, in the estimation of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. (Cot’s pegs their actual payroll at approximately $195.4MM). If Cohen is unwilling to go beyond the first threshold, that’d leave New York a little more than $13MM in CBT space for midseason upgrades.

Cohen didn’t explicitly state he’d be unwilling to push the team’s CBT ledger north of $210MM. Rather, he implied that it’d take one (or more) marquee additions for him to deem that worthwhile, based on the belief that the cost of higher potential penalties in future seasons would outweigh the value of making more marginal upgrades. Of course, that assumes the current luxury tax system will remain in the next CBA, which is up for negotiation this winter. The Mets did not exceed the threshold last season under the previous ownership group, so they’d be subject to the first-time payor penalty if they were to do so this year.

New York’s owner also addressed the contractual status of starters Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman. Cohen confirmed the club engaged in preliminary extension discussions with deGrom in Spring Training. Those were never expected to persist into the summer, though, and Cohen indeed shot down the possibility of in-season negotiations. “I’m focused on this year,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the right moment (for extension talks). We’re focused on this year, so obviously it’s something we’re thinking about. We love Jacob.” deGrom is under contract through 2024, but his deal affords him the opportunity to opt out at the end of next season.

Cohen also suggested it was unlikely the Mets would discuss an extension with Stroman during the year. The 30-year-old returned to Queens on an $18.9MM qualifying offer over the winter, and he’s since worked to a stellar 2.34 ERA/3.66 SIERA across 84 2/3 innings. Stroman will hit free agency again next offseason, and the CBA prevents the Mets from tagging with a QO this time around.

NL East Notes: Mets, deGrom, McNeil, Nationals, Strasburg, Scherzer

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Jacob deGrom appears on target to make his regularly-scheduled start on Monday, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). DeGrom threw his second bullpen session without incident. Though the Mets haven’t set anything in stone, the unofficial best pitcher on the planet should take the hill against the Braves two days from now.

Jeff McNeil is likely to join deGrom on the diamond on Monday, per Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). McNeil has been out with a hamstring strain since May 16th. McNeil was hitting .242/.336/.374 when he went on the injured list. Though still six percent better than average with the bat, that’s a far cry from McNeil’s usual production. He owned a 139 wRC+ across 1,024 plate appearances coming into the season. In the other dugout today…

  • The Nationals have some updates on their own star hurlers. Stephen Strasburg was playing catch in the outfield today – a small, but positive step in the right direction. There remains no timetable for Strasburg’s return.
  • Max Scherzer, however, will throw a bullpen session later today and potentially return to the rotation on Tuesday in Philadelphia, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). The Nats rotation has held up surprisingly well in Scherzer’s absence: They’ve posted a 0.78 team ERA since Scherzer exited his latest start after just two hitters. Should he remain on track and return Tuesday, however, he’ll no doubt provide a boost to the surging Nats, winners of five in a row.  [UPDATE: Scherzer told Zuckerman and other reporters that he is “all good” for Tuesday’s start.]
  • Two years ago on this date, Gerardo Parra walked to the plate to “Baby Shark” for the first time, sparking a trend that would enliven Nats fans for the entirety of their magical 2019 campaign. Parra might soon bring his act back to Washington, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter notes). The 11-year veteran has a .222/.385/.333 line in 91 plate appearances for the Nats Triple-A club this season.

Mets Notes: Conforto, McNeil, Nimmo, Carrasco, deGrom

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The Mets have been ravaged by injuries this season, but it seems a few of the team’s most important players are making strides in their recoveries. Outfielder Michael Conforto and utilityman Jeff McNeil began rehab assignments with Triple-A Syracuse this week. Manager Luis Rojas tells reporters (including Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News) McNeil could rejoin the major league club in the next couple days, while Conforto could return to the big leagues next week. Center fielder Brandon Nimmo isn’t far behind those two, as he could embark on a rehab assignment of his own next week, per Rojas (via Tim Healey of Newsday). Fourth outfielder Albert Almora Jr. is expected back this weekend, having completed his own rehab stint with Syracuse, relays Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link).

Conforto and McNeil each went down with hamstring strains on May 16, and both players will apparently return after slightly more than a month on the injured list. Nimmo suffered a left index finger injury in early May that proved more problematic than expected. Originally believed to be dealing with a nerve issue, Nimmo eventually found he’d suffered a ligament tear. Almora has missed just more than a month with a left shoulder contusion.

While the bulk of the Mets recent injury woes has been on the position player side, they’ve also been without key starter Carlos Carrasco all season. The veteran righty went down with a right hamstring strain in mid-March that has proven difficult from which to recover. Carrasco, though, has begun a throwing program off flat ground, per DiComo. There’s still hope he’ll be able to make his team debut at some point next month.

Of course, the Mets most recent injury scare came when NL Cy Young award favorite Jacob deGrom left Wednesday night’s start after three innings because of shoulder soreness. Follow-up testing revealed no issues, and deGrom was able to complete a ten-pitch bullpen session this afternoon, his customary between-starts routine. Rojas said the Mets will take their time in deciding whether deGrom will make his next scheduled start on Monday (via Thosar).

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