Jacob deGrom's return a bright spot for injury-plagued Mets
Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom looks on from the dugout before an MLB baseball game against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Luis Rojas almost tried to downplay it. Jacob deGrom was on the mound, but the Mets were treating it like any other day. They were happy to have another body back from the legion of injured, he said, giving just a cursory nod to the fact that this particular body belonged to the best pitcher on the planet.
"We prepare the same way, we go after the win every day," he said. "That we have Jake back, yeah, it’s awesome. It’s comforting to hear that guys are coming back."
And, in a way, it’s understandable. Rojas is playing with a stripped deck and, given the timelines on players like Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil, the Mets will be playing that way for another month or more. Never mind the fact that on Tuesday, both JD Davis and Noah Syndergaard suffered apparent setbacks. Davis returned to New York for treatment, despite being expected in the lineup for Triple-A Syracuse, while Syndergaard left his rehab start due to right elbow soreness
So no, deGrom’s return, while fortuitous, can’t make up for all of that, or the 16 total players on the injured list. But he sure can make it sting a little less.
After missing two starts with both lower and upper back tightness, deGrom was back to his regular, expected form, retiring the first three batters to face him on eight pitches. Before the game, three Rockies tried to time him from the on-deck circle at once – an indication of the sheer intimidation factor deGrom brings to every game. (It should be noted he gave up a solo homer to Ryan McMahon in the second.)
And though the Mets lineup looked like nothing Sandy Alderson envisioned at the beginning of the season, his presence meant that not only did they have a shot, but they would have a good one. Finally, it was an indicator the Mets aren’t jinxed in some strange way. People who get hurt can actually come back.
"It’s great," Rojas said. "It’s a good sign and everyone in there knows that there’s a group of guys that are going to be coming [back] in order, all at different times…It’s huge for everyone. You feel that the guys are coming back that we need and we’re talking about the best pitcher in the game right now, so yes, definitely uplifting."
We can talk about the awards, and the ERA and the WHIP and the FIP, but for a team as volatile as the Mets, that little something extra means a whole lot, too. DeGrom is rightfully known for his dominance, but it’s his stability and dependability that bring his value into stark relief. Where things crumble, deGrom shines, and the Mets have certainly been crumbling lately.
It was rarely clearer than on Tuesday. First, there was Johneshwy Fargas – almost completely unknown at the beginning of the season – was trotted out to speak to the media. His arm, which suffered a left AC joint sprain on Monday, was wrapped in a sling. He said he hoped he could play, though he was still waiting for his MRI results, but when he spoke about the pain he felt, it was clear that game action was unlikely. Rojas said that maybe he could pinch run, but hitting or throwing or fielding was out of the question. Yet, on the active roster he remained, though the weight of his likely eventual loss was palpable. And then there was the trickling news about Davis (sprained hand) and Syndergaard (Tommy John), both previously making continuous progress.
And that’s where the Mets are right now. Acting general manager Zack Scott is frantically looking for internal and external options for the giant holes in his lineup, but, with the trade deadline so far away, teams may not be so ready to make a deal. There are question marks everywhere, from Carlos Carrasco to Luis Guillorme to Davis to Brandon Nimmo, who has a lingering nerve issue in his finger. It’s made for unlikely configurations – on Tuesday, James McCann played at first for the second day in a row, though he hadn't played there before since college.
Everything indicates that the Mets are treading water – hoping and waiting to come back to full strength, and praying they don’t fall too far in the standings in the meantime. And, as always, deGrom is there, doing his best to try and make it happen.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
