Mets' deGrom set to start his rehab stint

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom is finally ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment.

Sidelined by injuries since last July, the twotime Cy Young Award winner is scheduled to start tonight for Single- A St. Lucie against the Jupiter Hammerheads. He’s expected to throw about 25 pitches and two innings.

It will be the first competitive outing since spring training for deGrom, sidelined all season because of a stress reaction in his right scapula that caused inflammation.

The announcement Saturday by NL East-leading New York came nearly a year since deGrom’s last major league outing on July 7, 2021. He missed the second half of last season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, then returned in spring training this year and made Grapefruit League starts on March 22 and 27.

But then he was sidelined by the stress reaction and didn’t throw another bullpen until June 4. The 34-year-old right-hander has been facing hitters at the team’s complex in Florida and the Mets said he felt good after throwing 27 pitches to batters on Wednesday.

As he builds up arm strength and stamina, deGrom will need several minor league rehab outings before he’s ready to rejoin New York’s rotation.

“Excited that he’ll be back, when that time comes. But just going to let the player kind of drive the pace and the cadence,” Mets general manager Billy Eppler said.

Eppler likened the process to a typical spring training progression, and manager Buck Showalter said deGrom won’t return until he’s stretched out enough that he could pitch five innings or more.

So the likelihood is deGrom still won’t be back in the big leagues until at least late July, after the All-Star break.

Fellow ace Max Scherzer (5-1, 2.54 ERA) is scheduled to return from a strained left oblique muscle Tuesday night at Cincinnati.

Nats pick up options on their manager, GM

Dave Martinez and Mike Rizzo are signed through the 2023 season after the Washington Nationals exercised their contract options for the World Serieswinning manager and GM.

Managing principal owner Mark Lerner announced the moves Saturday before the team’s 80th game of a season that has already included 50 losses. Martinez and Rizzo are now overseeing a rebuilding effort after helping the Nationals win their first championship in 2019.

Martinez was hired after the 2017 season while Rizzo is in his 14th year running the club’s baseball operations.