Report: Playoff Contenders Or Not, Mets Hope To Have Jacob deGrom Back If MRI Is Clean

The Mets' playoff chances have plummeted recently, falling from first to third-place in the NL East and seven games back of the Atlanta Braves.

However, whether they are still in the race or not, Mets acting general manager Zack Scott told Mike Puma of The New York Post that if Jacob deGrom's MRI on his right elbow comes back clean on Friday, he will begin rehabbing in order to make his return to the club, potentially by mid-September, regardless of the standings.

And according to Scott, their main reasoning for getting deGrom back on the mound this season is to eliminate a question mark heading into 2022.

“I think we’ll want to get him out there just to see where he’s at,” Scott told The Post prior to the Mets' 7-2 win over the Dodgers on Sunday.

This seems to be a bit of a careless approach, but is not very surprising after the Mets continued to send deGrom out there start after start, despite a constant array of different ailments popping up in the first-half of the season.

While the Mets have insisted that his first five injuries were from swinging the bat and are all somehow non-related to each other, deGrom has not pitched since July 7 due to what started off as right forearm tightness, that turned into right elbow inflammation.

And time and again, the Mets have said there is nothing structurally wrong with deGrom's elbow, when in reality, his wide variety of injury issues have been the mystery of the entire season.

As Inside the Mets reported last week, a source says the expectation is that deGrom will miss the rest of the season. And although there is still a slim chance he can return if all goes 100% right for him, his 2021 campaign is 99.9% over at this point.

The Mets aren't particularly optimistic that his MRI will come back clean, and they are hesitant to rush back their ace with little time left in the season, especially if they are not in playoff contention.

However, as Scott said on Sunday, regardless of the standings, they would still like to see deGrom pitch again this season if he is cleared to do so.

But not only will deGrom's next MRI have to show that the inflammation has completely subsided, but he will also have to avoid any setbacks if and when he can resume throwing. And given the fact that there are only 38 games left, deGrom can ill-afford to hit anymore snags, even if his next imaging results come back perfect.

DeGrom hit the IL on July 17 with a forearm issue, and then later was shutdown from throwing for two weeks on July 30 after the elbow inflammation was discovered. But on August 13, at the end of the first two week shutdown, deGrom's MRI results showed improvement, but not enough to allow him to resume baseball activities, which sparked an additional two week stoppage recommendation.

With deGrom's next MRI scheduled for Friday, August 27, it will likely be the official moment of truth, as to whether he can make it back this season or not. If all goes well, he will begin his road back, but will still need to clear some obstacles before he returns. If the inflammation has not subsided enough, his season is likely over.

DeGrom was moved to the 60-day IL on Friday, meaning the earliest he can return to the big-league club is September 13. By then, there will be 17 days left in the regular season.