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Jeff PassanESPN
New York Mets ace Jacob deGromAfter an imaging test revealed a stress reaction in his right capula, sources familiar said ESPN that he will miss Opening Day.
Although the timeline for deGrom’s return is not clear, sources say that the injury will keep him sidelined for a considerable time.
DeGrom, who is 33 years old, is widely considered to be the best pitcher in baseball. He posted a 1.08 ERA in 15 starts and struck out 146 batters in 92 innings. However, he was sidelined for the second half by elbow pain and a number of injuries that caused him to miss 15 starts.
The scapula or shoulder blade is an important bone in pitching. Stress reactions, which refer to injuries to bones that are often caused by repeated movement, are uncommon in pitchers’ shoulders. Stress reactions can be healed by rest.
2014 St. Louis Cardinals starter Michael WachaHe suffered a stress reaction to his right shoulder mid-June. He was back in the Cardinals’ rotation September 4.
DeGrom, who won back to back National League Cy Young Awards in 2018-19, and placed ninth in voting last season, despite only having a half-season of games, was expected play a major role in the Mets efforts to unseat the defending World Series champion Atlanta BravesThey have won four consecutive NL East titles. New York signed former Washington Nationals ace Max ScherzerThis winter, Scherzer signed a $130 million three-year contract to partner with deGrom as the top pitcher in its rotation. Scherzer will now be starting Thursday against the Nationals.
DeGrom’s spring starts were a success. He gave up just one run in five innings, and struck out 10 without walking a single batter. DeGrom felt tightness and pain in his right shoulder, prompting team members to request an MRI Friday morning.
The shoulder looked clean, but the bone caused enough concern to close down deGrom ahead of what could be his last season with the Mets. While he stated that he intends to cancel his contract at the end of this season, during whom he’ll be receiving $33.5 million, he added that he loved being a Met and that “it would have been really cool to be one for my entire life.”
New York’s deGrom was selected in the ninth round. His career record is 77-53. DeGrom has a 2.50 ERA, 1,505 strikeouts and a 1,261.2 innings of winning.