Jacob deGrom injury update: Mets ace could face another setback

Mets ace pitcher Jacob deGrom faces another setback in his recovery, getting scratched from his Spring Training start against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The April Fools joke is on Mets fans who thought they might be getting ace pitcher Jacob deGrom back in full form for the start of the season.

It turns out that deGrom has been experiencing shoulder tightness in his right shoulder, and as of March 31, was expected to miss a Spring Training start against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 1st.

According to Buck Showalter, if deGrom continued to feel soreness on the morning of their Cardinals game, he would be sent in to get an MRI scan done on his shoulder.

“Let’s see what [Friday] brings,” Showalter said, explaining that the organization designed the Spring Training schedule to allow for each starter to miss a game if they needed.

Come April 1st, that turned out to be the case, as deGrom was sent in for MRI scans and his Opening Day status remains undetermined.

Jacob deGrom shoulder injury: Mets face pitching scare

This troubling injury development comes as Mets fans expected to see deGrom and Max Scherzer dominate the top of their pitching rotation, and deGrom has already been in full form through Spring Training games. Through five innings, deGrom only allowed one run, striking out 10 other batters.

deGrom is just getting back to the mound after spending last season in the dugout with a low-grade tear of the ulnar collateral ligament. After July 7, the Mets were without their top-tier pitcher, and the team finished 77-85 in the NL East.

deGrom’s injury and potential absence from the Opening Day roster is another domino effect from the MLB lockout. Without a normal Spring Training schedule, which would allow for more rest and recovery, the Mets had to ramp up their season rather quickly. deGrom’s shoulder soreness, which has yet to be fully assessed, could be more collateral damage from lockout fallout.