Mets shut ace Jacob deGrom down for rest of season
The New York Mets confirmed earlier in the day that hard-throwing right-hander Noah Syndergaard would make his season debut and start the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Miami Marlins as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery that he initially underwent in March 2020. That wasn't the Mets' biggest pitching-related announcement of the afternoon.
New York manager Luis Rojas told reporters that ace Jacob deGrom is being shut down for the remainder of what became a disappointing campaign.
Rojas added deGrom was medically fine to pitch but that everyone involved thought it best that the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner instead rest and prepare for 2022.
It's both the logical and frustrating conclusion to the story involving the right-hander, who was a legitimate Most Valuable Player candidate back in June. In total, deGrom dealt with at least six separate injury setbacks throughout the season, and he hasn't taken the bump since July 7. Most recently, he had a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow late in the summer that Mets president Sandy Alderson said earlier this month had healed on its own.
Even though the Mets are eliminated from the playoffs at 73-82, deGrom and Rojas repeatedly said the plan was for the 33-year-old to make at least one more MLB in-game appearance before the conclusion of Sunday's regular-season finale. Instead, deGrom ends his year with a 7-2 record, a 1.08 ERA and 0.55 WHIP in 15 starts.
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