New York Mets’ Jacob deGrom to Undergo Surgery
By Nick Fustor
The New York Mets starting rotation received yet another blow, as it was announced that Jacob deGrom will undergo elbow surgery.
Entering the season, the New York Mets had more starters than they knew what to do with. Now, the team’s rotation is a shell of what it was back in April. With Matt Harvey already out for the season, the team has dealt with lingering issues with Steven Matz and Jon Niese, while Zack Wheeler has been out for the entire season.
The team will now be without Jacob deGrom, as he’ll undergo elbow surgery to correct a nerve issue in his pitching elbow, as reported by Adam Rubin of ESPN. The nerve issue has led to elbow discomfort and finger numbness. The procedure will likely take three months to recover, which gives deGrom plenty of time to prepare for the start of next season.
With three teams all tied up in the National League Wild Card race, the Mets will depend on the continued dominance of Noah Syndergaard and the ageless wonder Bartolo Colon to secure a playoff berth.
Even with those two atop their rotation, losing deGrom is a major blow. The 28-year-old has been the team’s ace since his debut in 2014–and was just as effective this season. In 24 starts this season, deGrom had a 3.04 ERA with 8.70 strikeouts per nine innings and just 2.19 walks per nine.
The two-time All-Star –though he declined to participate in this year’s event –will continue to be a crucial part of the Mets’ rotation in years to come. As such, after shutting him down for the rest of the season a few days ago, surgery to repair his ailment is the best option for the team’s long-term strength.
In his absence, Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman and Gabriel Ynoa will look to keep New York on track in the Wild Card race.
And so far, Lugo and Gsellman look to be capable contributors in the postseason and beyond.
Lugo, 26, owns a 2.35 ERA and a 3.77 FIP in 15 appearances, six of which have been starts. Since joining the rotation on Aug. 19, Lugo has allowed just nine runs while last at least five innings in each start.
The 23-year-old Gsellman has been equally impressive since his debut in late August. The right-hander has a 3.08 ERA while allowing just 0.34 home runs per nine innings. In the last few weeks of the season, his groundball tendencies will play greatly to the Mets advantage.
Despite struggling in Triple-A with an ERA over five, Gsellman has settled right in to his role in the big leagues. Ynoa, too, looked effective in his lone start with on Sept. 18. While he lasted just 4.2 innings, he gave up just one run on four hits.
While the Mets rotation certainly isn’t as deep as it was to start the season, their minor league system is proving its effectiveness in developing big-league ready starters.
New York will likely shift to a four-man rotation if one of the three proves ineffective, but their options remain plentiful if Lugo, Gsellman and Ynoa excel.