Right-hander Jacob deGrom was supposed to start tonight for the New York Mets against the Philadelphia Phillies, but the team announced that has been scratched. Walker Lockett will take the hill in his place.
DeGrom is dealing with a tight neck, which doesn’t sound like an overly serious issue but it was bad enough to keep him from taking the mound in an important intra-division game. The New York Mets certainly preferred to handle the situation with caution before aggravating the injury in any way.
The New York Mets’ ace has, according to MLB.com’s beat reporter for the club Anthony DiComo, no structural issues with his neck. He will rest for a couple of days and then, if all goes well, throw a bullpen session on Sunday or Monday.
The Mets will proceed with caution
Initially, it was believed that the reason why the Mets scratched their best hurler was related to a “hot spot” on the middle finger of his right hand, a situation that presented itself during his last start. He described it as a small blister in formation.
However, deGrom remained confident that the issue would disappear between starts and he would be able to pitch against the Phils, which appeared to be the case until the tight neck appeared.
The pitcher expressed his frustration after it was reported that he wouldn’t be taking the ball on Friday. “I love going out there and pitching and competing,” Jacob deGrom said. “And when you’re not able to, it really does frustrate you.”
The Mets’ pitcher has been dominating as usual in the start of the short 2020 season, with a 2-0 record and a 2.45 ERA in four starts so far. The two-time Cy Young Award winner currently has a 32.6 K% and a 5.8 BB% in 22.0 frames, with an even better 2.40 FIP.