Mets ace deGrom to make at least 1 more rehab start
NEW YORK » Mets ace Jacob deGrom will make at least one more minor league rehab start before rejoining New York’s rotation.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner, sidelined all season by a stress reaction in his right scapula, threw 60 pitches over five innings in a simulated game Thursday at the team’s complex in Florida.
Mets manager Buck Showalter said deGrom felt good Friday and his next step will be a throwing session Sunday as part of a work day at Citi Field in New York. After that, if all goes well, he’ll pitch for a minor league affiliate a few days later and then get slotted into the big league rotation.
“Just about stretching him,” general manager Billy Eppler said. “We get a better arm for a debut than trying to do something on a shorter pitch count.”
That means deGrom definitely won’t return in time to face the crosstown Yankees at Citi Field next Tuesday or Wednesday. The earliest possibilities for his season debut would be July 31 at Miami or a threegame series in Washington from Aug. 1-3.
DeGrom hasn’t pitched in the majors since July 7, 2021. He missed the second half of last season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow.
REDS 9, CARDINALS 5 » Joey Votto, Donovan Solano and Jonathan India homered, Tyler Naquin drove in four runs and Cincinnati opened the second half of the season with a win over St. Louis.
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson suffered a broken right clavicle when he was hit by Goldschmidt’s foul tip in the first inning. He exited after being unable to make a throw on Goldschmidt’s chopper between the plate and mound.
MARLINS 8, PIRATES » Joey Wendle had three hits and two RBIs, Braxton Garrett pitched six sharp innings and Miami emphatically ended its 37-inning scoreless streak by beating Pittsburgh.
The Marlins were shut out by the Phillies in three straight games last weekend at home leading up to the All-Star break.
The 37-inning drought tied the franchise record set in 2013.
Avisail Garcia stopped Miami’s ninegame streak without a home run, which was one short of the club record, with a solo shot
in the eighth that capped the scoring.
Mets get Vogelbach from Pirates
NEW YORK » The first-place New York Mets added some much-needed punch at designated hitter, acquiring Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade for rookie reliever Colin Holderman.
The burly Vogelbach, a left-handed hitter and an All-Star in 2019 with Seattle, was batting .228 with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .769 OPS in 75 games for the rebuilding Pirates.
The 26-year-old Holderman is 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 appearances covering 17.2 innings.
Marlins’ Chisholm out 6 more weeks
PITTSBURGH » Miami Marlins All-Star second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. likely will be out through the end of August.
Tests revealed Chisholm has a stress reaction in his lower back, the Marlins said Friday. He is expected to miss six weeks.
Chisholm is hitting .254 with 14 home runs, 45 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.
White Sox put OF Robert on IL
CHICAGO » The Chicago White Sox placed center fielder Luis Robert on the 10-day injured list because of blurred vision.
General manager Rick Hahn said the team is “cautiously optimistic” the slugger and Gold Glove winner will be ready to return when the White Sox open a three-game series against Oakland on July 29.
A Gold Glove winner in 2020, Robert has been one of Chicago’s most productive players this season. He’s batting .301 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs in 74 games.
Royals’ Merrifield says he ‘poorly articulated’ vax remarks
KANSAS CITY, MO. » Two-time All-Star Whit Merrifield of the Kansas City Royals apologized Friday for “poorly articulated” comments about the COVID-19 vaccine after missing the team’s trip to Canada.
The 33-year-old outfielder/second baseman has been a fan favorite in Kansas City. But backlash came quickly and harshly after Merrifield said “the vaccine, what it’s supposed to do, it’s not doing. If it was doing what it was supposed to do and stopping the spread of COVID (then) I would have a little more willingness to take it, but it’s not doing that.”
He tried to clear up those comments before the Royals opened the second half with a home game against Tampa Bay.
“I’m sorry that I poorly articulated the point I was trying to make,” Merrifield said.