Mets ace Jacob deGrom to start Tuesday vs. Rockies?

New York Mets ace and two-time National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom tallied eight strikeouts, pitched three scoreless innings, and hit 102 mph on the radar gun in Thursday's rehab start for the Low-A St. Lucie Mets against the Palm Beach Cardinals. 

The 32-year-old's next appearance should be for the big league club. 

Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News and others report deGrom could start for Tuesday's home game against the Colorado Rockies. One of the early candidates to win this year's Cy Young honor, deGrom went on the injured list earlier this month with right side tightness and will need to report no physical setbacks through the weekend and be cleared to take the bump in an MLB contest for the first time since May 9, when he experienced side tightness coming off a similar injury. 

According to ESPN stats, deGrom still leads all of MLB among eligible pitchers with a 0.68 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, and 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Meanwhile, the Mets head into Friday's series opener at the Miami Marlins atop the NL East standings with a 20-17 record.