Here we go again...
The latest on Jacob deGrom's injury
Good Morning,
Unfortunately, this is not an April Fools joke. As you have probably learned by now, Jacob deGrom is dealing with tightness in his right shoulder and will likely miss what was supposed to be his final tune-up before Opening Day.
The Mets’ ace has an MRI scheduled for today. If this feels like déjà vu, it is. Once again, the best starter in baseball has an injury that on the surface sounds relatively minor, but leaves us holding our breath, hoping it isn’t something much worse.
“It’s not like we’re hiding anything,” manager Buck Showalter told reporters yesterday. “But we’re going to see how he is in the morning before we scratch him. He’s going to have to be pretty convincing to pitch him [Friday]. He’s going to be in here in the morning. We’re going to see how he feels.”
deGrom missed most of the 2021 season due to persistent right elbow inflammation. He has also missed time over the past two seasons due to neck and back pain, lat and side strains, along with forearm and shoulder tightness.
He came to camp this year focused on keeping himself healthy, using the offseason to tweak his workout routine, and took a little off his fastball over his first few starts to ensure his mechanics were “smooth.” I talked about the noticeable adjustment in his throwing motion earlier this week.
While I hate to even think about it, if deGrom is sidelined for a period of time, the Mets are perhaps better positioned than any team in baseball to lose a starter of his magnitude. They happen to have a future Hall-of-Famer in Max Scherzer standing right behind him. Trust me, that doesn’t ease the pain. Losing deGrom for a long stretch is a major blow, no matter what. But what would be an absolute disaster in previous seasons is at least manageable now, at least for a few rotation turns.
This injury also highlights the importance of acquiring Chris Bassitt, who gives the Mets a second legitimate starter before some question marks pop up about Carlos Carrasco and to some degree for Taijuan Walker, both of whom could either be really good or cause for concern. The Mets have been impressed with Tylor Megill in camp, who would likely slot in as the extra starter if deGrom can’t make the first turn in the rotation.
Of course, the deGrom news wasn’t the only thing that happened yesterday. But you might want to look away before reading the next update:
☹️ Edwin Díaz served up a game-tying home run to Juan Soto in the eighth inning on Thursday. After turning a 3–2 deficit into a tie game, the Nats went on to score four more runs off Eric Orze in the ninth to win 7–3.
CONTEXT: Any mention of Díaz struggling will raise the blood pressure of Mets fans, which is why I feel obligated to remind everyone this is only spring training and he was beat by one of the best young hitters in all of baseball.
LOCATION: That said, perhaps throwing a fastball down the middle of the plate (numbered three in the graphic below) isn’t the best approach when you are up 0–2 in the count.
🍎 THE CAPTAIN: David Wright was in Mets camp yesterday, telling reporters, “I really miss talking baseball. I miss being around it.” He also had a few other interesting points about the club.
JEALOUS: Wright said “I wish I could be in this lineup” in talking about the team assembled by Steve Cohen and company: “I’d be surprised if they aren’t one of the top offenses in the league,” he added.
ON LINDOR: “When you’re the center of attention and every at-bat or every play is magnified, and you’re a Carlos Beltran or Lindor, it makes it difficult to just go out there and play,” Wright told reporters. “And once that’s past you and once you feel a little more comfortable, your talent comes out.”
OLD TIMER’S DAY: Wright said he “doesn’t feel old enough” to participate in the return of Old Timer’s Day at Citi Field this season.
LEARN MORE: The Captain returns to Mets Spring Training, by Anthony DiComo, MLB.com
Some more news and notes from yesterday…
🚶WALKER: With deGrom’s health status up in the air and Carlos Carrasco struggling during camp, Taijuan Walker becomes a vital piece of the rotation. He tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings last night; he hasn’t allowed a run in either of his two spring starts. His slider looked good on Thursday, as he was able to throw it for six called strikes.
1️⃣BASE: Robinson Canó made his first appearance at first base since 2018 last night. He recorded five putouts and two assists, making it look easy:
🇵🇷 WBC: Edwin Díaz told MLB Network he will pitch for Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
📞 REACH OUT: Dominic Smith told reporters he had been reluctant to reach out to Michael Conforto about his free agency status, before learning about his injury earlier this week. “It’s sad, but I’m hopeful for him,” Smith said, “and hopefully a team out there signs him because he’s still a great player. He’s still super young.”
6️⃣ NUMBER: Jeff McNeil had no issues giving up his number 6 to free agent signing Starling Marte. When he was called up in 2018, McNeil originally wanted number 1 (which he will wear this year), but Amed Rosario had it. Marte told the NY Daily News something will be coming McNeil’s way for the gesture.
📻 AUDACY: You will be able to listen to the Mets in both English and Spanish using the Audacy app this season. The streaming app announced they will be the exclusive digital streaming home for all Mets games as part of WCBS 880’s flagship partnership.
◾️ Major League Baseball announced a few rule changes that we already knew about through previous reporting: rosters will be expanded to 28 players through May 1 (with no restriction on the number of pitchers); the rule that each extra inning begins with a runner on second base returns; a special provision to allow a two-way player like Shohei Ohtani to keep his designated hitter spot in games he pitches was added; and a few other minor changes.
🔗 Lining up the best of the Mets' 2022 food options, by Michael Clair, MLB.com: “The Mets opened the Citi Field gates on Thursday morning to guide us through the stadium's newest offerings.”
🔗 The Mets need Drew Smith to be good in 2022, by Grace Carbone, Amazin’ Avenue: “Coming into 2022, Smith is healthy again and will in all likelihood break camp with the team, though he still has options remaining. He would really need to screw up in spring training to be sent to the minors, as the bullpen is currently constructed with him as one of the more assured, consistent players. And the Mets need Drew Smith to be good and healthy this season for the bullpen to have a shot, and his versatility and stability is an added bonus to an at times volatile group of relievers.”
And we leave you with another Opening Day throwback…
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That Rey Ordonez throw reminds me of that brief moment in time when we debated with Yankees fans who had the better SS.
Wake me up when deGrom is on the mound. I am not going to obsess over him this season. Now I have a technical question about the Audacy and SNY apps. Will I be able to listen to both via my iPhone when I attend games at Citi Field? I have always had difficulty getting the WFAN or 880 am on my phone when I'm there. Please someone let me know.