The New York Mets have not had much luck regarding injuries on the pitching front. Jacob deGrom has yet to pitch this season, while Max Scherzer and Tylor Megill have joined him on the Injured List. The Mets pitching depth, which had been solid to start the year, has already been tested.
However, there is some good news. The Mets are hopeful that deGrom will be back by the end of June, providing a boost to their rotation before the All Star Break.
New York Mets might be pushing luck with target for Jacob deGrom
It is understandable why the Mets would want deGrom back as soon as possible. He had been dominant last season before being sidelined, posting a stellar 1.08 ERA and a 0.554 WHiP in his 92 innings, striking out 146 batters with 11 walks. The expectation is that he will return to form and give the Mets yet another ace for the rotation.
At the same time, the Mets need to be cautious. It is going to be difficult to see deGrom on the mound and not expect that he will immediately go back to being a workhorse, especially after he has a chance to build up his pitch count during a rehab assignment.
But the Mets have their eyes on a bigger prize. They may be able to ease deGrom back into action even when his rehab stint is over. Unless another team in the NL East is able to make a run in the coming month, the Mets appear to have the division solidly in hand. Of course, the same could have been said last year…
At the same time, deGrom is needed for September and October. The Mets need to make certain that he is going to be fully healthy at that point in time. Even if that means that he returns after the All Star Break instead of in June, that is something that the Mets will have to take into consideration.
The New York Mets are hoping that Jacob deGrom will be back by the end of June. Instead, they need to be certain he is fully healthy for the stretch run.