The right elbow injury that has sidelined New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom since early July was a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament, but the condition has healed, team president Sandy Alderson said Tuesday.
The team had never revealed exactly what had been bothering deGrom, a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner.
Still, Tuesday’s update doesn’t mean a return to the Mets is imminent. While he was given the OK to start throwing two weeks ago, deGrom hasn’t thrown off the mound yet, and Alderson said a return this season remains questionable.
The 33-year-old deGrom underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, but Alderson said this injury didn’t warrant any thoughts of a similar procedure.
“This is a very low-grade thing that has resolved itself,” Alderson said before the Mets played the Miami Marlins. “The ligament is perfectly intact at this point. Whatever condition existed before has resolved itself and that is one of the reasons he didn’t pitch for a period of time.”
deGrom last pitched for the Mets on July 7 in a 4-3 win against the Milwaukee Brewers but didn’t get a decision. He went on the injured list July 15 with what was termed right-elbow inflammation. He later was transferred to the 60-day IL, and the Mets said he would be eligible to return on Sept. 13.
While battling multiple injuries over the first half of the season, deGrom posted a 1.08 ERA and a 7-2 record in 15 starts, striking out 146 in just 92 innings. He was considered a heavy favorite for the NL Cy Young Award before his extended IL stay.
–Field Level Media