Mets transfer ace Jacob deGrom to 60-day IL, claim Locke St. John off waivers

When it was learned that New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom was starting the season only on the 10-day injured list due to a stress reaction in the scapula of his pitching shoulder, some hoped the two-time Cy Young Award winner could potentially return to the rotation before the end of May. 

That always seemed unlikely even though an MRI and CT scan from late April showed "considerable healing," and it's now known deGrom won't pitch before at least some point in June. 

As Ryan Morik explained for SNY, the Mets have officially transferred deGrom to the 60-day IL so they could claim left-handed relief pitcher Locke St. John off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. According to Thomas Henderson of Amazin Avenue, June 7 is now the earliest deGrom could return to the active roster. 

St. John made just one big-league appearance with the Cubs last month and has pitched in a total of eight career MLB games. Morik notes the 29-year-old posted a 2.58 ERA in Triple-A last season. 

As for deGrom, he still hasn't faced a batter in a regular-season contest since July 7, 2021 and remains on track to have his shoulder re-imaged approximately three weeks from April 26. The harsh truth is that Tuesday's development provides no real update on when the 33-year-old may pitch again.