Mets ace Jacob deGrom 'really frustrated' over latest injury
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Jacob deGrom still plans to become a free agent after this season, he said Sunday, despite a significant injury that left him surprised, disappointed and sidelined potentially for months.
When he felt soreness in his shoulder, which is not an uncommon occurrence, late last week, he did not anticipate being diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right scapula. The Mets shut him down for four weeks.
“Honestly, I was expecting to hear, ‘Take a couple days off and you’ll be ready to go,’ ” deGrom said during his first public comments since suffering his latest injury. “When I was told that, I was really caught off guard and really frustrated. I guess if I’m going to try to look at it from a positive standpoint, [it] is that structurally, everything looks fine [for the soft tissue]. Once the bone heals, then we’ll be ready to go. Build up from there and hopefully stay healthy for the rest of the year.
“I’m really frustrated. I came into camp feeling really good. Felt like my elbow and shoulder were in a good spot. To hear a stress reaction in the bone was definitely something I was not expecting. The level of frustration is really high right now.”
Amid those feelings, deGrom has run through a list of possible explanations for this uncommon injury. Maybe the shortened spring training, he thought. Or maybe it was because he hasn’t pitched in a real game in close to nine months, having missed the second half of last season because of other arm injuries.
But really, he just doesn’t know.
“I’d be guessing if I said exactly what happened,” he said.
What bothered deGrom the most, he said, was how good he had felt in recent weeks. He had gotten stronger in the offseason. He struck out 10 batters in five innings across two exhibition appearances. He was throwing his fastball at a velocity that was a bit lower than usual, but he suggested that was on purpose.
Then this happened.
“For this to pop up, it felt out of nowhere,” he said.
DeGrom can choose to opt out of his contract after this season, forgoing a 2023 salary of $30.5 million (plus a $32.5 million club option for 2024) to hit the open market. He said at the start of spring training that he intends to do so and reiterated Sunday that his plans have not changed.
Without deGrom, the Mets await clarity regarding his co-ace, Max Scherzer, who is dealing with right hamstring tightness. Manager Buck Showalter said Scherzer’s next bullpen session, scheduled for Tuesday, will tell the Mets a lot about when he will be able to pitch.
For now, Showalter has not named a starter for Opening Day on Thursday — or for the game the next day, for that matter. But Chris Bassitt (Friday or Saturday), Carlos Carrasco (Sunday) and Taijuan Walker (Monday) mostly will remain on their long-planned days.
“Obviously, Opening Day is special,” said Bassitt, who threw five innings (90 pitches) and allowed four runs against the Marlins on Sunday. “But nobody is going to be talking about Opening Day in about seven months. Just do what’s best for the club, and obviously I think Buck is doing a great job of that.”
Tylor Megill, who appeared to be on the outside of the rotation picture until these developments, said he will pitch Tuesday if he stays in his routine. But he is a candidate for disruption given the opening(s).
“I haven’t heard a thing,” he said. “Sit back. There’s nothing to worry about it. I’m not losing sleep over it.”
If Megill is called on to pitch the opener against the Nationals, will he be ready?
“Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah,” he said. “It’s another game, another start. Treat it as that.”
Bassitt isn’t worried about the rest of the starters managing without at least one ace.
“We’ll be perfectly fine,” he said. “I think Max is fine. Jake obviously needs some time. But if we’re that reliant on deGrom, [it’s bad]. I know he is the best pitcher in the world. But it’s OK. It’ll be all right.”
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.
