From Jacob deGrom to Chris Sale, when will these 8 elite arms return?

At the start of the 2022 season, we saw some of the best arms in our game begin the year on the injured list (IL). From Jacob deGrom to Chris Sale and more, let’s take a look at when we will potentially be seeing them again.

Jacob deGrom injury update

I know New York Mets fans can’t wait to see arguably the best pitcher in our game on the mound again. After missing the whole second half of the season in 2022, and having the whole offseason to recover, deGrom suffered a stress reaction in his right scapula just before the start of the season.

deGrom is reportedly scheduled for an MRI on April 25. Assuming the MRI shows that the rest deGrom has been doing has helped the stress reaction’s recovery, a best-case scenario for his return would be early to mid-June. The Mets, however, must play it safe and make sure deGrom is fully healed before returning. Rushing him back would be a mistake, and I know everyone, especially Mets fans, wants to see him in October throwing alongside Max Scherzer.

The way I see it, the more time he gets to heal, the likelier chance we see him in come playoff time.

Lance McCullers Jr. injury update

Lance McCullers elevated his pitching to the next level last season, truly becoming an elite starter. With the absence of Justin Verlander in the postseason, McCullers assumed the ace starting role and absolutely excelled. In the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox, he pitched a total of 10 innings with an ERA of 0.84. As a McCullers Jr. fantasy owner, I’m quite anxious to see him return. However, McCullers’ arm-related injury prevented him from pitching in the ALCS and World Series.

This season, McCullers started the year on the 10-day IL. He was, however, transferred to the 60-day injured list on Monday with his forearm injury. This means that the earliest he could return in 2022 is in June.