DeGrom aims for fat IP total — like Colon
PORT ST. LUCIE — Jacob deGrom wants to be just like Bartolo Colon.
But that doesn’t mean trying to frustrate hitters with an 88 mph two-seam fastball or becoming the jovial life of the party adored by fans.
DeGrom wants to eat — innings — just like Colon.
“I think the goal is to get 200 [innings] in the regular season,” deGrom said Saturday. “You have got guys like Bartolo who do that, and stay around for a long time, I think that’s the main goal.”
DeGrom pitched 191 innings in the 2015 regular season before adding 25 to his total in the postseason. But last year he was limited to 148 innings because of an ulnar nerve that became dislocated in his right elbow, necessitating surgery.
The stud right-hander’s comeback has accelerated smoothly this spring. On Saturday, he threw 77 pitches over six-plus innings in a minor league exhibition game in which he surrendered an unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
In his final inning, deGrom threw all changeups in an attempt to further refine a pitch that has become a big part of his arsenal.
“I definitely feel a lot better this spring,” deGrom said. “Honestly, I think I feel better than I felt at any point last year. The main goal is to stay healthy and go out there every fifth day.
“It’s been very refreshing. Last year, there were a lot of ups and downs. That year’s behind us, and I’ve just been looking forward to being healthy this year and I’m happy how my spring training has gone.”
DeGrom is expected to pitch in an exhibition game later this week, a final tuneup before his first real start of the season. Though manager Terry Collins hasn’t officially announced his rotation order beyond Noah Syndergaard in the opener against the Braves at Citi Field, it is a safe bet deGrom will go second — he has followed Syndergaard all spring.
DeGrom said he has considered the possibility Colon, his former teammate, will be the Braves’ starting pitcher that night.
“I thought about it a little bit,” deGrom said, laughing.
Would deGrom consider buzzing Colon with a fastball the first time he comes to the plate?
“I don’t think I’ll buzz him,” deGrom said. “I just don’t want him to get a hit off me.”