PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — This is not an April Fool’s joke, though it may feel like one: Jacob deGrom is dealing with another injury.
DeGrom felt the back of his right shoulder tighten up after a round of long-toss on Thursday, Mets manager Buck Showalter said. The right-hander is expected to be re-evaluated on Friday morning, which will determine whether he will require an MRI.
He is likely to be scratched from his scheduled Friday afternoon spring training start against the Cardinals. the Mets manager said he would be “surprised” if deGrom took the hill for what would’ve been his third spring start.
“He’s going to have to be pretty convincing to pitch him tomorrow,” Showalter said.
A week from the start of the regular season, this setback could put into jeopardy his April 7 opening-day start against the Nationals. In the event deGrom cannot pitch, Max Scherzer would take the hill and Mets starters would subsequently each be moved up one day.
Earlier in the day on Thursday, Showalter mentioned the Mets were deciding whether to pitch deGrom in a minor league game, rather than an exhibition game in Jupiter, Fla., because there is rain scheduled in the forecast for Friday. When Showalter was asked again Thursday night, after the Mets’ loss to the Nationals, where deGrom would pitch on Friday, Showalter said he was waiting to see if the weather would change. About 20 minutes later, the manager abruptly stepped into the media room, and walked it all back.
“It’s more than just rain,” Showalter said. “This was part of it too.”
DeGrom, 33, last pitched on Sunday against the Cardinals at Clover Park and afterwards said he felt healthy. Last season, the Mets ace dealt with an onslaught of injuries, some minor aches and pains — including right shoulder soreness — that he believes cropped up because of hitting at the plate, while elbow inflammation was the major injury that caused him to miss the entire second half of the 2021 season.
“We’ll see what tomorrow brings,” Showalter said.
