Jacob deGrom begins throwing, unrelatedly moves to 60-day IL
Jacob deGrom of the Mets looks on after a game against the Diamondbacks at Citi Field on April 15. Credit: Jim McIsaac
WASHINGTON — Jacob deGrom recently started throwing baseballs again, an early but important step in his return to the Mets, which remains at least several weeks away in the absolute best-case scenario.
General manager Billy Eppler said Tuesday evening that deGrom is playing catch “out to 60 feet at light intensity.” He is scheduled for another round of medical imaging — including an MRI — in about a week.
That represented good news for the Mets’ absent ace, who has been sidelined all season by a stress reaction in his right shoulder blade (after missing the entire second half of last season due to a series of arm injuries). The Mets have been fine without him, racing out to a six-game lead in the NL East to begin the week, and are taking a cautious approach to his rehabilitation.
“Everything is going well,” said manager Buck Showalter, who has been skittish in recent weeks about revealing any information regarding deGrom. “I’m going to stay out of the doctor and trainer business, but he’s where he’s supposed to be. I’m not going to say ahead or behind, but they like the way he’s progressing.”
Eppler’s update came hours after the Mets transferred deGrom to the 60-day injured list. That was a technicality; he was not going to return before his new eligibility date — June 6 — anyway.
Surgery for Reid-Foley
Sean Reid-Foley will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, Eppler said. That operation typically sidelines pitchers for at least a year.
That was the most likely outcome after Reid-Foley and the Mets learned on May 1 that he had a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He had a 5.40 ERA in seven relief appearances this season.
Personnel news
The deGrom move made room for lefthander Locke St. John, whom the Mets claimed off waivers from the Cubs. The 29-year-old reliever had a 2.58 ERA in Triple-A last year and has pitched in eight major-league games with the Rangers (2019) and Cubs (this year).
“We had some room on the roster,” Showalter said. “Billy and them look at a lot of stuff. Another depth piece.”
The Cubs had designated St. John for assignment last week when they called up ex-Met Robert Gsellman.
Extra bases
Showalter on Jeff McNeil’s above-average defense at two very different positions, second base and leftfield: “What impresses me is that you go out to leftfield and be doesn’t miss a beat coming back in. I was told that coming in, that he’s a pretty good leftfielder and he can go back and forth. It’s been an asset for us.” . . . Showalter dropped Eduardo Escobar (.693 OPS) to the No. 7 spot in the lineup for the series opener against the Nationals on Tuesday, the first time he has started anywhere other than fifth. The Mets sought to give cleanup hitter Pete Alonso better protection, so they slotted designated hitter J.D. Davis into the No. 5 hole for the day opposite Nats lefthander Patrick Corbin . . . Alex Ramirez, the Mets’ top outfield prospect, was named the player of the week in the Low-A Florida State League. He hit .536 (15-for-28) with six extra-base hits and five RBIs.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
