It’s been officially more than a year since the New York Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom pitched in the MLB. However, his absence from the majors seems to be close to over after the 34-year-old player put together a couple of strong performances for Mets’ Class A affiliate St. Lucie.
DeGrom made his first rehab start last Sunday, throwing 24 pitches and striking out five out of six batters he faced. Then in his second rehab start on Friday night, he got his pitch count to 36 while throwing 29 of his pitches for strike. His fastball topped out at 101 mph.
Speaking after the game, deGrom said he “felt really good” and was happy to complete three innings.
“Coming off the first time in a game, being on a five-day routine — I felt really good,” said deGroom. “… Hopefully, I’ll keep moving forward like this and be back in the big leagues before too long.”
While deGrom’s progress must be encouraging, the Mets are not expected to rush him back on the mound. He is reportedly set to complete a few more rehab starts in the minor league before being ready for the MLB action.
Jacob deGrom had an electric start to the 2021 season, setting a record for most strikeouts in the first four starts with 40. Throughout his first 15 games, deGrom had a career-low 1.08 ERA with 146 strikeouts and a 7-2 record. Unfortunately, tightness in his elbow ruled him out midway through the campaign. He was set to return for the start of this season before a stress reaction in his shoulder prolonged his time on the sidelines.
