New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom could potentially begin throwing again soon.
That will largely depend on the follow-up MRI he performs on his ailing right shoulder.
deGrom, currently nursing a stress reaction in his right shoulder scapula, will need to show progress when he undergoes the follow-up imaging on Monday.
“Jacob deGrom (stress reaction in right shoulder scapula) will undergo a follow-up MRI on Monday. That’s three and a half weeks after his initial imaging test revealed the diagnosis. If all goes well, deGrom could conceivably begin throwing after that,” Mets beat writer for MLB.com Anthony DiComo tweeted on Tuesday.
Jacob deGrom (stress reaction in right shoulder scapula) will undergo a follow-up MRI on Monday. That's three and a half weeks after his initial imaging test revealed the diagnosis.
If all goes well, deGrom could conceivably begin throwing after that.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 19, 2022
Monday is six days from now, so deGrom will have almost another full week to rest his injury.
deGrom Would Need To Show Progress To Start Throwing Again
If he shows no structural damage, then he could potentially pick up a baseball and start getting ready to debut this season.
The Mets are 7-3 in his absence, so he could take his time to heal and get ready: the team isn’t in a rush to bring him back, as they want to make sure he is healthy and ready to go before he touches a baseball.
deGrom’s preparation process could take nearly a month, since he would need to play catch, then throw some bullpens, face live hitters, and go to a rehab assignment in the minor leagues.
The Mets’ pitching staff leads the league with 1.9 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and has the second-lowest ERA in baseball, after the San Francisco Giants, with 2.35.
It’s fair to say that they have managed to replace him well.
However, in order to make a deep postseason run, the Mets will need deGrom, who was arguably the best pitcher in baseball last season when healthy (1.08 ERA in 92 innings).
NEXT: Mets Starting Rotation Off To A Historic Start Without Their Ace