Jacob deGrom frustrated but optimistic he'll return to help Mets' playoff push

MIAMI — The mystery surrounding Jacob deGrom’s series of right arm injuries remains as such — even to him, he said, amid his most recent shutdown because of elbow inflammation.

Dealing with his sixth physical issue of the season and his 10th in 13 months, a bored deGrom was relegated to playing catch with his left hand on Tuesday, shortly after admitting to some amount of concern and confusion about his maddening maladies.

"I feel like I was having the best year of my career, and these little bumps and setbacks and now this — it’s definitely frustrating," deGrom said in his first public comments since his setback. "But how it feels this past week I think is a plus. I haven’t thrown, but moving it around, it feels fine. Just see what it says when we get it looked at again."

The Mets don’t expect deGrom back until September at the earliest. Is there any concern that he will miss the rest of the season?

"I would say no, not right now," he said. "That just depends on hopefully in the next image, the inflammation is gone."

That next image is supposed to be an MRI on or around Aug. 13, two weeks after team doctors imposed a two-week ban on throwing.

DeGrom hasn’t pitched since July 7, his personal first-half finale. He went on the injured list on July 18 with right forearm tightness.

But this elbow inflammation, he clarified, is a separate issue. He felt it during his first bullpen session when trying to return from the forearm problem, which had dissipated, but didn’t think of much of it. When that discomfort popped up again during his second side session — last Thursday — he told Mets decision-makers he thought they should get it looked at again.

"I was like, you know, that just does not feel right," said deGrom, who has a 1.08 ERA but no longer has enough innings to qualify for the major-league leaderboard.

It was the first time all year that his elbow bothered him, after dealing with right lat inflammation, right side tightness, right flexor tendinitis, right shoulder soreness and then the right forearm tightness.

An MRI and a CT scan revealed nothing that could be a source of the inflammation, deGrom said. There is no ligament damage, nor a bone spur.

That has left him wondering what, exactly, is going on.

"The frustrating thing is not knowing really why it’s there," deGrom said. "Hopefully it’s gone when they look at it again . . . Of course you never want to feel anything in your elbow. Concerning? Yeah, I don’t like it. I want to be pitching. That’s one of the most frustrating things."

This setback unofficially ends what was looking like deGrom’s third NL Cy Young Award season. Even if he comes back in September, he won’t pitch enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.

That is OK with him if he still can contribute to the larger Mets mission.

"The goal is to win a World Series and to be a part of that," he said. "The personal stuff is secondary. But I do miss being out there helping our team. It stinks sitting on the sideline and not being able to compete."

In the meantime, a rotation of Taijuan Walker, Marcus Stroman, Carlos Carrasco, Tylor Megill and Rich Hill will try to hold it down. Noah Syndergaard is expected back in September, too. Manager Luis Rojas said the Mets have internally discussed a six-man rotation, but not recently.

"These guys have done a great job," deGrom said. "Tylor is stepping up and has been pitching well for us. The rotation — Cookie coming back and then Stro and Tai, they’ve all thrown the ball great all year. They’ll be fine. They’re professionals. They know how to take the mound and keep us in the ballgame and give us a chance to win."