New York Mets send ace Jacob deGrom home for MRI on elbow
By Jason Cole
Manager Mickey Callaway says the Mets top starter deGrom is heading back to New York for exam on his “barking” right elbow.
Optimism over the 10-8 start for the New York Mets hit a potentially troubling snag Friday when Mets manager Mickey Callaway said that top starter Jacob deGrom was being sent for an exam on his “barking” right elbow, according to multiple reports.
As the defending National League Cy Young Award winner, deGrom was off to a 2-2 start with a 3.68 ERA in his four starts. He was placed on the injured list, retroactive to Tuesday. His most projected start Saturday had been pushed back by what the Mets called an illness before Callaway made his announcement. The Mets were scheduled to play at St. Louis this weekend.
The 31-year-old deGrom was coming off a career year in 2018 in which he had 269 strikeouts in 217 innings to go with a league-leading 1.70 ERA. He was only 10-9 for a Mets team that struggled much of last season to score runs, but was so dominant that he received 29 of 30 first-place votes for the Cy Young.
The Mets entered Friday’s action one game behind Philadelphia (11-7), a half-game in front of Washington (9-8) and one game in front of Atlanta (9-9) in the National League East. DeGrom is obviously considered a lynch pin to any hopes the Mets have of winning a division title after the team made several trades to compete this year.
New York acquired closer Edwin Diaz, second baseman Robinson Cano, catcher Wilson Ramos and third baseman Jed Lowrie this offseason in an effort to push for a playoff spot.