Mets manager Luis Rojas said MRI results on Jacob deGrom’s shoulder, which was looked at by two different doctors, showed a “normal shoulder for a pitcher.” In turn, an IL stint won’t be necessary for the ace.
“Today, we’re not thinking of an IL stint and do anything,” Rojas told media members via Zoom before the series finale against the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. “We’re just going to do day by day. He’s going to play catch and see how he feels.”
DeGrom was seen throwing on the Citi Field grass Thursday, which Rojas said is part of his normal in-between start routine.
While it’s a big sigh of relief from everyone involved with the Mets, it’s hard not to view this as pretty bizarre considering deGrom has now dealt with a lat/lower back issue and flexor tendonitis in his start prior to Wednesday night, and the only IL stint came during the first injury.
DeGrom, Rojas said, was “less open” to an IL stint in this case now compared to that back issue. It also eases Rojas’ mind that deGrom’s injuries are “not connected” to one another.
“That time, the first time, he felt that his mechanics were out of whack and he didn’t want to test that lat, lower-back area and see how he was landing, separating, everything,” Rojas explained. “So I think we did the IL stint because he wanted to go through his in-between start routine at least twice to check on those mechanics and compare them to how he’s done them in the past.
“In this one, throughout the game, he felt the soreness. But then they did the test and everything and his feedback was positive. He was frustrated, but not highly concerned.
“He feels right now that this is something that he doesn’t need to go on the IL.”
IL stint or not, the Mets can still play it safe with arguably their most important player by skipping his next start to make sure everything is copasetic. However, Rojas isn’t thinking about that right now – at least when asked about it.
“I can’t say that right now. The day by day approach — I can’t say that. He is going to do his in-between start routine,” he said.
DeGrom was putting together another masterpiece against Chicago before his early exit, striking out eight batters and allowing no hits through three innings.