deGrom returns from injury to lead Mets rotation

It’s not a stretch to say that as Jacob deGrom goes, so go the New York Mets. Indeed, when the two-time Cy Young winning right-hander went down last season with a forearm strain after his July 7 start, the Mets were leading the NL East with a 46-37 record and deGrom was enjoying another fine year with a 7-2 won-lost mark, a 1.08 ERA and a WHIP of .55. The Mets’ first playoff appearance in five years seemed assured and a third trophy very likely for their ace. But then deGrom, who had been nagged throughout the season by what appeared to be minor aches and pains, finally succumbed to what was initially diagnosed as a partially torn UCL then changed to a strained forearm. Though a collective sigh of relief went up among the Mets and their faithful at the news, it didn’t help them on the field. Without deGrom, the pitching collapsed, the hitters didn’t hit and the Mets went 31-48 the rest of the way to nosedive out of the postseason. In the process, they became the only team in baseball history to finish with a sub-.500 record after leading their division for threeplus months. Now presumably healthy, deGrom is joined this season by three-time Cy winner Max Scherzer and former A’s ace Chris Bassitt to form a formidable 1-2-3 punch atop the New York rotation. Whether that will be good enough to stave off the Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Nationals and defending world champion Atlanta Braves in an uber-competitive NL East remains to be seen. The Mets open the 2022 season with deGrom on the mound Thursday, April 7, when they challenge the Nationals in Washington, D.C.