2 min read • April 01, 2022
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Less than a week from Opening Day, the New York Mets got concerning news of yet another injury to starting pitcher Jacob deGrom.
An MRI Friday showed a stress reaction in his right scapula, sidelining the two-time Cy Young winner for an early stretch of the season.
He reportedly won't throw for the next four weeks, then will be reevaluated.
The ProBaseballDocs note that anything dealing with the scapula is typically slow to heal. At this point, he would be fortunate to return to action in six weeks and the recovery could easily stretch to two months or more.
deGrom was scratched from his last spring training start after reportedly experiencing tightness in the back of his right shoulder. That led to the MRI and the concerning news for the Mets 33-year-old righty.
When the shoulder tightness was reported, the ProBaseballDocs opined that it could be the start of another troublesome season for deGrom.
Last season, he made 15 starts but was plagued by forearm tightness, right elbow soreness and an issue with his right lat. He still have a 1.08 ERA and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings, but was ultimately shut down in early July.
deGrom and the Mets have said his UCL is fully intact, but changes in his mechanics to try and lessen the strain on his right elbow may have contributed to the current shoulder problem. The saying in sports medicine is “injuries beget injuries” and deGrom seems to be a classic case of that.
Luckily for the Mets, the offseason additions of Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt should help lessen the blow. Still, losing a top starter for at least the first month of the season puts New York at a serious disadvantage.
The hope is deGrom can return in mid-to-late May and work out any issues in his mechanics that may have contributed to the shoulder injury or last season's elbow soreness.
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