It looks like the New York Mets ace is making some progress, albeit slowly. According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Jacob deGrom has started throwing lightly from 60 feet.
Jacob deGrom update: He recently started throwing and has extended to 60 feet at light intensity. He will undergo further imaging on his right scapula in about a week.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) May 10, 2022
deGrom has not thrown a pitch in a big-league game since July 7th of last season, but this news has to bring some optimism to Mets fans. He was also transferred to the 60-day injured list from the 10-day designation as a procedural move. The stress reaction in his right scapula will be re-evaluated next week as doctors look over his MRI/CT scan.
The 33-year-old righty was cruising toward the National League Cy Young award winner in 2021. deGrom’s video game numbers had him as the odds on favorite to win the award most of the season.
He had 146 strikeouts in 92 innings to go along with a ridiculous 1.08 ERA and 0.55 WHIP while holding opposing batters to just a .129 batting average. The man had only 11 walks in 15 starts.
Don’t expect to see deGrom pitching in a game until after the All-Star break.
To say the Mets haven’t missed him would be unfair, but with a 20-10 record and a six-game lead in the NL East, they may play themselves into the luxury of giving deGrom more time to return to the rotation.
FanDuel Sportsbook has New York as -190 favorites to win the division and have the second-best odds at +400 to take the NL crown. The Mets are also tied for the fourth shortest odds (+800) to win the World Series with their crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees.
