New York Mets Ace Jacob deGrom's Rehab Intensifying
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Jacob deGrom's rehab has shifted from Port St. Lucie to Citi Field, and things are beginning to heat up.
As pitching coach Jeremy Hefner told The New York Daily News and Newsday at Oracle Park on Tuesday night, deGrom (stress reaction on right scapula) has extended his long-toss to around 90-105 feet. If all goes well, deGrom could move to mound work and bullpen sessions, which could come as soon as this weekend, per Hefner. The plan is for Hefner and other Mets officials to watch deGrom up close in his throwing progression moving forward.
“The intensity is starting to climb now,” Hefner said. “We want to have eyes on him as we progress towards bullpens – not that the people in Port St. Lucie can’t do that – but once he’s starting bullpens, he can do that with me and we can bring him into that routine.”
As he continues his throwing program, deGrom will potentially join the Mets on their 10-game west coast road trip beginning on June 2, in which they will face the Dodgers, Padres and Angels in a span of 11 days. After progressing towards bullpens and increasing his pitch count, deGrom will then move to live BP and facing hitters. The last step in the process will be for the two-time Cy Young Award winner to make several minor league rehab starts, before rejoining the big-league rotation. According to Hefner, deGrom will go through a spring training-like ramp up period once he gets back to doing mound work. But the Mets have not put a timeline on when deGrom will begin a rehab assignment.
New York is taking it slow with their prized arm, but the good news is that the right-hander has made significant progress in his recovery. If deGrom can avoid any setbacks, he could potentially return to the Mets' rotation by late June or early July. DeGrom was initially shut down from throwing on April 1 when it was discovered that he had a stress reaction on his right scapula.
With fellow ace Max Scherzer sidelined with an oblique strain for six to eight weeks, the sense of urgency for deGrom to return has increased. However, the Mets aren't going to rush him back. For now, they will continue to play the long game with their No. 1 starter.
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