Mets ace Jacob deGrom 'felt good' after throwing five-inning simulated game

The 34-year-old is looking to return from a stress reaction in the scapula of his pitching shoulder, which has kept him out of action since July of last season. 

After making several rehab starts, a simulated game scheduled for Tuesday was pushed back to Thursday after deGrom felt soreness around his shoulder on Sunday. 

Fantrax's Michael Marino reports a source said, "He looks like Jake." Marino added that deGrom reportedly struck out 10 of the 13 batters he faced on Thursday. 

DeGrom could make his first start of 2022 sometime next week, either against the New York Yankees or Miami Marlins. 

The two-time Cy Young winner was an All-Star in 2021, going 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA in 15 starts. 

The Mets currently lead the National League East with a 58-35 record. However, with the Atlanta Braves (56-38) and Philadelphia Phillies (49-43) still alive, adding deGrom could be a significant boost heading down the home stretch of the 2022 season.