New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom said Saturday that his injured right shoulder blade feels “completely normal.”
The right-hander said he is waiting to receive clearance from the team’s medical staff to resume throwing off a mound and hopes to soon throw a bullpen session.
“I feel completely normal,” deGrom told reporters prior to Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. “So I think that’s where it’s going to be like, do we push it? Do we not? That’ll be the discussion over the next few days, and when we get on the mound, what is the safest way to go about this?”
The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner played catch on Friday — ranging up to 135 feet — and feels confident that the stress reaction in his scapula is healing.
The 33-year-old deGrom has been plagued by recent arm injuries. He missed the second half of last season due to elbow issues and hasn’t pitched in a game since last July 7.
The four-time All-Star was placed on the injured list on April 7 and transferred to the 60-day IL on May 10. deGrom won’t be eligible to come off the list until June 6.
He also doesn’t want to experience another setback.
“It stinks not being out there,” deGrom said. “That’s what we love doing, competing, and haven’t been able to compete in quite some time. So that’s where it’s like, you want to go out, you want to go probably more than you’re supposed to, but then you got to look at it as, if you go too early, you’re going to end up missing more time. So it’s trying to balance all that.”
In 15 starts last season, deGrom went 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA, striking out 146 batters in 92 innings.
The winner of the National League Cy Young Award in 2018 and 2019, deGrom is 77-53 with a 2.50 ERA in 198 career starts over eight seasons with the Mets.
–Field Level Media