Jacob deGrom transferred to 60-day IL in procedural move

LOS ANGELES — In what amounts to a roster-manipulating technicality, the Mets transferred ace Jacob deGrom to the 60-day injured list on Friday.

He won’t be eligible to return until Sept. 13. He was not going to be ready before then anyway.

"His status and timeline remain unchanged," the Mets said in a news release.

Dealing with what team officials have called right elbow inflammation, deGrom is facing a best-case scenario of returning around the final week of the regular season, but that is far from a certainty.

He is shut down until at least late next week. He is due to get another MRI then to check on his elbow, after which he might be cleared to prepare for throwing baseballs.

Moving deGrom to the 60-day IL opened a spot on the 40-man roster for righthanded reliever Heath Hembree, whom the Mets claimed off waivers from the Reds. Cincinnati cut him this week after he posted a 6.38 ERA (with eight saves) in 45 appearances this season.

The Mets also will need to create a space on the active roster when Hembree reports to the team, which probably won’t happen until Tuesday, manager Luis Rojas said. Hembree was in South Carolina, so the sides figured it wasn’t worth flying across the country for just one or two games.

Hembree, 32, established himself as a major-leaguer with the Red Sox, playing for them in 2014-20, a stretch in which Mets acting general manager Zack Scott was a high-ranking Boston executive. He has a career 4.23 ERA in nine seasons.

Nagging Dom

Dominic Smith’s right wrist has been bothering him, according to Rojas, who downplayed the severity of the issue.

"The wrist has been nagging him a little bit," Rojas said. "But just working him early and getting clearance, it’s nothing more than some of the stuff that guys go through in August. He’s playing, he’s taking swings, he’s going out for BP. A guy that wouldn’t be able to do it probably wouldn’t take extra BP out there."

Smith has a .235/.272/.322 slash line since the All-Star break, and those numbers are even worse recently.

Hello Yamamoto

Jordan Yamamoto began a rehabilitation assignment Friday, tossing a scoreless inning for Mets’ rookie-level Florida Complex League team. He struck out a batter and gave up a double.

That was Yamamoto’s first appearance at any level since May 23. He has been sidelined by what the Mets referred to as right shoulder soreness ever since. Rojas said the Mets didn’t get a more specific diagnosis.

"He’s had something like that in the past," he said. "That was it. Shoulder is recovered. He was good to go. Let’s see how he progresses."

His injury was one in a series that sapped the Mets’ starting pitching depth. Joey Lucchesi, David Peterson, Corey Oswalt, Robert Stock and other back-end/backup starters met similar fates.

Noah’s next step

Noah Syndergaard is scheduled to throw live batting practice again Saturday, Rojas said.

The Mets expect him back — likely in a relief role — by early September. They have not said when he might go on a rehab assignment, though that could come next week.

Extra bases

Rojas on Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez skipping rehab assignments before being activated Sunday or shortly thereafter: "I don’t want to cement it yet, but it’s looking good." Both had another full workout Friday afternoon, including facing pitchers and participating in defensive drills . . . James McCann (back spasms) was out of the lineup for a fourth consecutive game. "We’re still avoiding the IL," Rojas said, adding that he was "better and better."