Mets ace Jacob deGrom could be cleared to throw after follow-up MRI on Monday

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom told reporters last week that he was "penciled in" for a follow-up MRI scheduled for this coming Monday to examine the stress reaction in the scapula of his pitching shoulder that has kept him sidelined through the early days of the regular season. 

According to Danny Abriano of SNY, deGrom remains on track to have the MRI on Monday. Depending on what is seen, the two-time Cy Young Award winner could be cleared to resume throwing next week. 

"I know everything is going real well," Mets manager Buck Showalter said of deGrom's recovery ahead of Tuesday's home doubleheader against the San Francisco Giants. "They're really happy where he is right now. I'm not saying he's ahead or behind schedule ... He's doing well, he's doing well ... I know they're talking a little bit about some mechanical things to try to keep him healthy down the road." 

Meanwhile, orthopedic sports surgeon Deepak Chona, MD, told SNY deGrom should make a full recovery from this latest setback. 

"Furthermore, once he’s back, I wouldn’t expect this to act up again midseason," Chona explained. "DeGrom at age 33 is not exactly young for an MLB pitcher, but he’s shown the ability to bounce back before. We have no reason to expect this to be much different." 

The Mets still haven't seen deGrom face a batter in a meaningful game since July 7 of last year. He missed the second half of the 2021 season because of a lingering elbow issue, and the timetable for his return to the rotation is unclear. 

Without deGrom, the Mets began Tuesday at 7-3.