Photo by Ed Delany of MMO
New York Mets starters Jacob de Grom “felt good” Thursday night after finishing his four innings of work with a simulated start in Port St. Lucie, Fla. at Clover Park. This comes after he was originally scheduled to be thrown on Tuesday, but the start was pushed back to Thursday due to a slight soreness in his muscles.
First Michael Marino reported the news that deGrom’s launch had gone smoothly. He tweeted, “Jacob deGrom pitched four innings today and faced 13 batsmen. He knocked out 10 of them.” He then added that a Mets source said, “He looks like Jake.”
It’s still unclear what deGrom’s next step is, but the Mets have to be happy he was able to pace four innings and extend to 60 pitches. Rehab numbers for deGrom so far have been stellar. Disregarding today’s sim game, deGrom has pitched 8 2/3 innings, conceded five hits, a walk and 15 shots. The fastball was also consistent in the 98-100 range. And its slider is as deadly as usual, sitting in the 150 km/h range.
Tim Healey too reported that deGrom “felt good” after his launch Thursday night. Mike Puma too tweeted that the Mets are “heartened by how upbeat deGrom sounded after his outing.” So early signs seem extremely encouraging for the two-time Cy Young winning pitcher.
Ultimately, the next step has to be determined. Will there be another rehab start? Or will he eventually return to action with the Mets against the New York Yankees? Regardless, as is very obvious, the sooner deGrom returns the better for the club. With the addition of deGrom, New York will add baseball’s best pitcher to an already impressive group.
