Mets' Jacob deGrom Still Hopeful About Returning This Season
Mets ace Jacob deGrom remains on the shelf after suffering a setback in the form of right elbow inflammation last week.
For deGrom, this is now the sixth different injury he has suffered this season, which has left him extremely frustrated.
"Of course you never want to feel anything in your elbow," deGrom said. "Concerning? Yeah, I don't like it. I want to be pitching. That's one of the most frustrating things. I feel like I was having the best year of my career and then these little bumps and setbacks, and now this."
When asked by reporters on Tuesday if there is any concern that he will miss the remainder of the season, deGrom is still optimistic that he will be back.
"I would say no, not right now," he said. "I think that just depends on hopefully the next image, that the inflammation is gone. Like I said, the frustrating thing is not knowing really why it's there. Hopefully it's gone whenever they look at it again."
DeGrom is currently shutdown from throwing, and is expected to undergo another MRI around August 13.
The initial MRI he received on July 30 revealed the elbow inflammation, but showed no structural damage. A bone spur has also been ruled out, per deGrom.
“This one was a little bit different to be completely honest…. It just did not feel right. When you pitch, you know what it’s like to throw with soreness. It was not the normal soreness.”
On a positive note, deGrom, who was originally working his way back from right forearm tightness, says his elbow feels a lot better in recent days when moving it around, despite not throwing.
"It's definitely frustrating, a little bit concerning, but how it feels this past week I think is a plus. Haven't thrown, but moving it around it feels fine. So we'll see what it says when we get it looked at again."
While there is currently no timetable for his return, if all goes well with his next MRI, he will begin to ramp things up again, as general manager Zack Scott said last Friday. DeGrom, who was an early favorite to capture the NL MVP and his third Cy Young Award, has not pitched since July 7.
The Mets are about to enter a pivotal stretch with 13 straight games against two NL West powerhouses in the Dodgers and Giants.
Unfortunately, they will be without their prized arm during this difficult span. But the hope is, that he will be able to return to the mound by early-September, with his team still in first-place in the NL East.
