AROUND THE HORN
Mets: Jacob degrom played catch at Citi Field on Wednesday after an MRI showed improvement with the right forearm tightness that has sidelined him since July 7, while Noah Syndergaard will begin a minor league rehab assignment with High-a Brooklyn on Thursday. It was the first time degrom played catch since being shut down from throwing entirely four weeks ago. “We’ll see where we go from here,” Mets manager Luis Rojas said. Rojas didn’t know details of what the MRI showed, except there was enough improvement for doctors to clear him for throwing. Zack Scott, the Mets’ acting GM, said Tuesday that degrom would have the imaging reviewed by Dr. David Altchek, and if Altchek cleared him, the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner would begin a throwing program immediately. Degrom was transferred to the 60-day IL last weekend and isn’t eligible to return until Sept. 13. Scott said Tuesday that degrom was unlikely to be ready by that date even if he did resume throwing this week. Degrom is 7-2 with a 1.08 ERA in 15 starts this year. Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery March 26, 2020, and is still recovering. He was shut down from a minor league rehab assignment in May with elbow discomfort but had resumed throwing live batting practice. The club plans to bring the right-hander back as a reliever to shorten the length of his rehab stint.
Astros: Alex Bregman had two hits and an RBI in his first action in more than two months, and he scored the winning run in the 10th inning on a groundout by Jake Meyers to lift the Astros to a 6-5 win over the visiting Royals. The AL West-leading Astros won two of three in the series after dropping three of four to the Royals last week in Kansas City. Kendall Graveman (5-0) struck out one in a scoreless 10th. Whit Merrifield hit a grand slam with two outs in the seventh to put the Royals up 5-3. Bregman, who had been sidelined since June 16 with a strained left quadriceps, singled in the fourth and had an RBI double in the sixth.
Cardinals: Paul Goldschmidt homered twice and scored the game-ending run on Lars Nootbaar’s single in the 10th as the host Cardinals beat the Tigers 3-2. Goldschmidt was intentionally walked to open the 10th and executed a one-out double steal with automatic runner Tommy Edman. Nolan Arenado was intentionally walked. After a fielder’s choice for the second out, Nootbaar lined a single to right field off Michael Fulmer (5-6) and the Cardinals improved to 11-5 in extra innings. T.J. Mcfarland (3-0) pitched a scoreless 10th and hasn’t allowed a run in 18 innings over 12 August appearances . ... Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty is returning to the IL with a right shoulder strain, manager Mike Shildt announced. Flaherty (9-2) left after two-plus innings in Tuesday’s loss to the Tigers. He allowed four runs on four hits with three walks on 46 pitches, with his velocity dropping dramatically after the first inning. Shildt said the result of an MRI showed no major structural damage appearing in the scan. The 25-year-old starter missed 60 games (June 1-Aug. 12) with a left oblique strain. He had given up just two runs in 12 innings covering two starts since he returned after being activated from the IL.