ATLANTA — The final time the Mets had been in Atlanta, they’d their three greatest pitchers lined as much as try to maintain off the surging Braves for an opportunity to win the NL East. One by one, all of them fell to the staff that ultimately received the division. It was Jacob deGrom’s remaining common season look for the Mets, and although he stored the staff’s title hopes alive with a Wild Card win over the San Diego Padres, in the end, that was the tip for the dominant, homegrown right-hander in New York.
Now, the Mets are again in Atlanta, they usually arrived simply in time to search out out that deGrom, now a member of the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, should bear his second Tommy John surgical procedure.
“You feel awful for him,” Mets supervisor Buck Showalter mentioned Tuesday at Truist Park. “I know how much it means for him to pitch and he enjoys pitching. It’s certainly sad news for all of us.”
His former Mets teammates reached out instantly.
“I sent him a text and said that I hope the surgery goes well and that the recovery goes well,” mentioned outfielder Brandon Nimmo. “Hopefully he can get back to being the guy and the pitcher that we know he’s capable of, which is one of the best in the world.”
DeGrom had been on the injured checklist since April 29 with elbow irritation. He had made six begins this season after a gradual begin in spring coaching that led many followers to query how a lot he would pitch for Texas. He signed a five-year, $185 million contract shortly earlier than the winter conferences in December, with a mutual possibility for a sixth season.
The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner had struggled with myriad elbow and again accidents over the previous couple of seasons, throwing solely 156 and 1/3 innings over 2021 and 2022. He went practically a 12 months in between begins after ending the 2021 season with forearm tightness and beginning 2022 with a scapula harm.
“He was fighting through things,” Nimmo mentioned. “We all kind of are, but he was able to get through some of it. Ultimately, there is just so much stress that you can put on an arm and he’s had a long run with this Tommy John that he’s had before.”
DeGrom had his first ulnar collateral ligament restore surgical procedure shortly after he was drafted by the Mets in 2010. In a well-recognized twist, it was recognized after six begins, this time with the rookie league Kingsport Mets. He was sidelined for all of 2011. The process didn’t seem to have an effect on his growth, as he nonetheless went on to turn into the NL Rookie of the Year in 2014 and was an All-Star in 2015.
But his 2016 season was minimize brief due to ulnar nerve issues, which led to a different elbow surgical procedure to reposition the nerve. He got here into the 2017 season decided to turn into an ace, which meant making 30 begins and pitching 200 innings. He took satisfaction in reaching these milestones in 2018 and 2019, the identical years he received his Cy Young Awards.
“He’s just kind of better than everyone else,” Nimmo mentioned. “He locates his stuff where he wants to and it’s elite stuff. It’s three elite pitches that he locates in an elite way. For me, I never had to do much behind him. It was a joy to watch.”
The Rangers didn’t insure deGrom’s contract due to the associated fee. At 34 with an extended harm historical past, it could’ve been exceptionally costly to insure him. The cash is assured.
The timeline for deGrom’s harm is 12 months, which suggests he’ll miss the Rangers’ journey to Citi Field in August. With the brand new schedule, every staff performs each other not less than as soon as all through the season, so there’s an outdoor probability that deGrom might face the Mets subsequent season if every thing aligns.
But even the 2024 season isn’t assured for a pitcher whose Hall of Fame candidacy is now unsure.
“This stinks. It’s not ideal,” deGrom informed Rangers reporters. “But at least we know what it is now. I want to get it fixed and will set a goal to be back before the end of next year.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com