DeGrom headed for MRI; Mets do win 5th straight

NEW YORK >> Winners of five straight, the Mets have a big test brewing:

Jacob deGrom is getting an MRI.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was pulled after five innings with right side tightness in his return from an injury to a similar area, but the bullpen closed out a four-hitter as New York beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 Sunday.

DeGrom (3-2) was perfect through four innings but labored in the fifth, then called for trainer Brian Chicklo after throwing two warm-up pitches ahead of the sixth. DeGrom exited and went straight to the clubhouse.

“No pain whatsoever, just tightness,” manager Luis Rojas said. “That’s what he told our trainer.”

The right-hander was coming off a 10-day layoff, skipping his previous turn in the rotation because of a right lat issue. Rojas said the side tightness — centered around the lower-right side of his back — seems to be a different issue.

Prior to Sunday, deGrom had a 0.51 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 35 overpowering innings.

New York expected to have results of the MRI by Sunday night.

“I want to sit and wait and see what it is, and then we can plan as a group what’s next,” Rojas said.

The 32-year-old deGrom threw 68 pitches over five innings, allowing a run with six strikeouts, a hit and three walks.

DeGrom walked three during a 29-pitch fifth inning, just the second time in his career he’s done that. His previous three-walk inning was May 13, 2018, at Philadelphia. He was pulled after one inning in that game, his first back from the injured list.

Right-hander Miguel Castro relieved deGrom with New York ahead 2-1. He hit a batter and walked another before completing a scoreless inning.

Jacob Barnes worked a perfect seventh before allowing Asdrúbal Cabrera’s solo homer in the eighth, and Edwin Díaz got five outs for his fifth save.

It was Díaz’s second career five-out save and first with the Mets of more than three. He stranded Nick Ahmed in the ninth after catcher James McCann, third baseman Jonathan Villar and Díaz let Ahmed’s popup fall between them for a single.