Opening Day isn’t even here yet and the New York Mets season already appears to be in jeopardy following the latest MRI results for ace pitcher Jacob deGrom.
ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan reported on Friday that a new MRI revealed a “stress reaction in his right scapula” and that his return timetable is unclear. But it is significant enough for Passan to state that deGrom will miss a portion of the season – including Opening Day.
DeGrom is coming off yet another outstanding year at the Mets ace. In 15 starts he went 7-2 with 146 strikeouts and an incredible 1.08 earned run average. He earned his fourth All-Star selection and finished ninth in the Cy Young voting.
Injuries have basically been the story of deGrom’s life for the better part of a year. When healthy, he’s arguably the top pitcher in Major League Baseball. But staying healthy has been the challenge.
As you can imagine, Mets fans are about ready to cry. The fact that this took place on April Fool’s Day makes it all the more frustrating to some:
This is the cruelest April Fool’s joke ever. Also, unfortunately its not….😔 Ugh!!#mets #MetsTwitter https://t.co/yR1oMJKDGA
— Vets4Mets (@Vets4Mets) April 1, 2022
This would only happen to the Mets. https://t.co/LLzNAU4TNj
— Matt Michaels (@MattyMike0718) April 1, 2022
about to cry rn https://t.co/SuMRHxshee
— fivepointsvids (@FivePointsVids) April 1, 2022
👇🏾But… of course…AND on April Fools’ Day no less…cruel🤦🏽♂️🥺😖😫
I’m gonna go back to bed 🤕🤢😰 #LGM@chagares12 @DumiLM @DavidDianoraNYC @JChanKraushar @cforbes228 https://t.co/Hpr4MncKRO— Paul Forbes (@PaulForbesNYC) April 1, 2022
Other Mets fans are choosing to look on the bright side. Namely, the strong chance that eight-time All-Star Max Scherzer will take the mound for them on Opening Day against the Washington Nationals – his former team:
Oh Nats fans…you know what that means?!
Max Scherzer vs. the Nats on Opening Day.
LET’S GO!!!! https://t.co/S9d80gijDc
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) April 1, 2022
Even with Jacob deGrom playing at such an incredibly high level, the playoffs have continued to elude the Mets. They’ve missed the playoffs in five straight seasons, hiring and firing two managers in that short span (not counting Carlos Beltran).
DeGrom clearly isn’t the end-all-be-all of Mets success, but he’s the cornerstone of what wins they do manage.
This first few weeks – or months – of the 2022 MLB season might get rough for deGrom.
The post MRI Results For Jacob deGrom Revealed: Fans React appeared first on The Spun.