One and done
deGrom pulled after throwing 45 pitches in first inning vs. Phillies
PHILADELPHIA — Jacob deGrom hyperextended his pitch count in the first inning Sunday afternoon, cutting his return to the mound short.
Making his first start since May 2, with a trip to the disabled list for a hyperextended elbow in between, deGrom threw 45 pitches just to get three outs in the first inning against the Phillies in a 4-2 loss at Citizens Bank Park.
With deGrom’s spot due up in the top of the second, manager Mickey Callaway opted to pull the starter and use a pinch hitter as Robert Gsellman came on in relief for the bottom of the inning.
“I felt great, honestly. That’s the most frustrating part about it,” deGrom said. “When I was warming up, I was like, ‘OK, my stuff seems to be pretty good today.’ To go out there and do that, it’s frustrating.”
Callaway thought deGrom looked rusty without his normal fastball command, and while the right-hander’s recent activation off the disabled list played a factor in the decision to take him out, the hefty pitch count spoke loudest.
“[Pitching coach Dave Eiland] and I talked about it, we just didn’t feel good sending him back out,” Callaway said. “We can’t do that to anybody. That’s a lot of pitches for one inning.”
Miraculously, deGrom escaped the first inning without allowing a run. He walked the first three batters he faced on full counts before finally striking out Rhys Hoskins for the first out on his 30th pitch. He got Carlos Santana to ground into a fielder’s choice, with deGrom throwing home to get the force out, then struck out Maikel Franco in a 10-pitch at-bat to end the frame.
By the time deGrom got back to the dugout, the decision had been made for him. The bullpen was tasked with making it through the final eight innings.
“I was kind of surprised, honestly,” deGrom said. “I definitely would have liked to have gone back out there. The reasoning I understand, but who wants to pitch one inning as a starter?”
In total, deGrom threw 29 strikes — 20 fouls, four swing-and-misses, four called strikes and one ball in play — and 16 balls.
Since his previous start, when he hyperextended his elbow striking out against the Braves, deGrom had thrown three bullpen sessions. But the long layoff seemed to take a toll. He was limited to his fastball and slider — “And neither one of them were very good,” he said — and struggled to find his release point.
“It’s been a frustrating 10 days or whatever,” deGrom said. “But it’s over with now, so all I can do is get ready for my next one.”