Mets ace Jacob deGrom suffers injury setback, out until at least September
On the same day they made a major acquisition at the trade deadline, the New York Mets also received a piece of bad news.
Mets ace Jacob deGrom had a setback in his injury rehab, general manager Zack Scott told reporters Friday. Scott said that deGrom has inflammation in his pitching elbow, but there is no ligament damage.
According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, deGrom will not throw for the next two weeks. The goal is to get deGrom back in the rotation by September.
News: Jacob deGrom has suffered a setback -- additional inflammation in his right arm. The Mets are shutting him down from throwing for two weeks, and he will require a ramp-up after that. September is now looking like a best-case scenario for deGrom's return.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 30, 2021
Scott said the team learned of deGrom’s status earlier Friday afternoon, a few hours before MLB’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. The Mets added two-time All-Star Javier Baez in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, but did not bolster the rotation — even after receiving the results of deGrom’s MRI.
Zack Scott said the Mets got Jacob deGrom’s MRI results back at 1-2 p.m. today, a couple of hours before the trade deadline.
But it didn’t change their plans, he said, adding “You can’t replace Jacob deGrom.”— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) July 30, 2021
deGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, has been on the injured list since July 18 due to right forearm tightness. Before the injury, he was dominant, posting a 7-2 record with a stellar 1.08 ERA in 99.1 innings pitched. The Mets had not been offering specific timetables for deGrom’s return, but the injury was not expected to keep him off the mound for long. That changed with this recent setback.
The news is significant for the Mets as they continue their quest to win the National League East for the first time since 2015. At 54-47, the Mets are currently 3.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies (51-51) for first place in the division. The Atlanta Braves are four games back at 51-52.
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