The Mets will place star right-hander Jacob deGrom on the 10-day injured list due to right side tightness, the team announced. The placement will become official prior to tomorrow’s game with the Orioles, and the placement will be retroactive to May 10.
The news wasn’t a surprise considering that deGrom made an early exit from yesterday’s start, though an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage. Naturally, the Mets want to be as cautious as possible with the ace of their staff, especially since deGrom had been scratched from a previous start last Tuesday due to inflammation in his right lat. Though it doesn’t appear as if deGrom’s injury is all that serious, getting at least 10 days off to rest and rehab is probably a wise move considering his outsized importance to New York’s rotation.
Since the Mets are off today, Thursday, and on May 20, it’s possible deGrom might only miss one start during his absence. A return to the hill for May 21 against the Marlins certainly seems feasible if deGrom makes a quick recovery. As MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo notes, it isn’t uncommon for deGrom to miss a start or two per season due to a minor injury, though this will mark the first time deGrom has actually been placed on the IL since 2019. DeGrom has hit the big league IL four times in his career, returning each time in relatively short order.
DeGrom is in the midst of yet another spectacular season, with an 0.68 ERA/1.65 SIERA and (this is somehow not a typo) 567 ERA+ through 40 innings. His 46.1% strikeout percentage leads all starting pitchers, and he also leads the majors in K/9 (14.6), hits/9 (3.8), WHIP (0.60) and FIP (1.03), not to mention high-90th percentile spots in several Statcast categories.
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