The New York Mets provided an encouraging update on ace right-hander Jacob deGrom on Monday night after their victory over the St. Louis Cardinals (box score). According to Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News, the Mets told reporters that deGrom's latest MRI and CT scan revealed "considerable healing" of the stress reaction on his scapula that landed him on the injured list to begin the season.
At present, deGrom has been cleared to begin "loading and strengthening his shoulder." He'll be reassessed in three weeks' time with another round of imaging.
The Mets originally placed deGrom on the injured list in early April. At the time, they stated that he would be shut down for four weeks before his shoulder was reimaged. The best-case scenario then entailed him missing April before ramping up in May and returning to the big-league roster with a stretched out arm sometime during June.
DeGrom, 33 years old, has finished in the top 10 of Cy Young Award voting in five consecutive seasons. Last year, he was limited to just 15 starts because of various injuries. In those appearances, he amassed a 1.08 ERA (377 ERA+) and a 13.27 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 92 innings. For his career, he's accumulated a 157 ERA+ and a 5.10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in some 198 big-league starts.
The Mets have not necessarily missed deGrom so far this season. After an offseason that saw them sign Max Scherzer and Starling Marte and trade for Chris Bassitt, they've opened the year with an impressive 13-5 mark, good for first place in the National League East. The Mets will enter Tuesday with a 4 1/2-game lead over the Miami Marlins.
The Mets will continue their three-game series against the Cardinals on Tuesday.
