DeGrom’s Stellar Start Cut Short By Shoulder Soreness
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
It was all going so well for Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night, and then disaster struck.
We’re now in the morning after the night before territory, and every single Mets fan will be waiting with baited breath for news on their franchise cornerstone, who left the game with shoulder soreness.
DeGrom himself seemed to play down the injury in the wake of a game the Mets won 6-3 thanks in part to home runs from Dominic Smith and Kevin Pillar, but after being forced to leave the game for the second straight start, there is notable cause for concern when it comes to arguably one of the greatest players in franchise history.
This latest worrying blow came after yet more deGrom brilliance too, with the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner absolutely torching the Cubs while he was on the mound.
He struck out eight out of nine batters in just three innings of work, lowering his ERA to a historic and unprecedented 0.54 mark, before his body protested and the 32-year-old was again forced to leave the game in frustration, which was evident as he kicked the base of the wall on his way down the clubhouse tunnel.
“I don’t even know what to say,” deGrom said in the wake of the game.
“That’s what is really frustrating about it – you take the mound feeling good. Tonight, the first two innings, I felt probably the best I’ve felt all year, had good command of everything. Was able to throw the ball to both sides of the plate, and then go out there in the third and this pops up.”
The good news is that initial tests didn’t flag up anything major, but deGrom will undergo an MRI on Thursday to make sure that there isn’t anything too sinister at play.
This is the pitch to Sogard where deGrom showed some discomfort last inning: pic.twitter.com/BbTL68m5xc
— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) June 17, 2021
Treating deGrom with kid gloves may be the way forward right now, especially after he came back quickly last time out, but Mets manager Luis Rojas insisted that the right decision was taken by allowing his ace to go on Wednesday.
“No, no, not at all,” Rojas said when asked if he regretted the decision.
“Everyone was on board. Even though he exited last game, there was no feedback that would give us a red flag that he shouldn’t – I can’t regret this, just because everyone was board with Jake going tonight, especially Jake.”
deGrom has been in the headlines a lot recently for the magic he creates on the mound, and for his mind-boggling velocity – consistently topping 102 mph – and Rojas steered clear from naming that as a potential cause for deGrom’s recent spate of ailments.
“He creates so much force. I don’t know if it’s something that is causing him some of the tension in some areas at times,” Rojas said.
“But what I can tell you is his mechanics are so clean. They’re fun to watch, and his anatomy for a pitcher is perfect – the long extremities and everything, it’s beautiful to watch.”
So, for now, the New York Mets must wait for further news on the most important player on this team but, even if we are delivered the good news we all crave, maybe proceeding with caution when it comes to Jacob deGrom’s health will be the best tactic over the coming weeks in order to ensure that further scares like the one we all suffered on Wednesday aren’t repeated again.
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