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Mets president Sandy Anderson says right-hander Jacob deGrom has a partial tear in the UCL of his right elbow, but that the situation has “resolved itself” and the ligament has stabilized:
Sandy Alderson said Jacob deGrom’s elbow injury was a sprain/partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) September 7, 2021
But, Alderson emphasized, deGrom is fine now.
“The ligament is perfectly intact at this point,” he said. “Whatever condition existed before, it’s resolved itself.”
While there still won’t be too much clarity until he begins throwing at close to full effort again, this update would seem to indicate that deGrom has a solid chance to avoid Tommy John surgery — a huge development for the Mets, who owe deGrom $68 million over the next two seasons with a $32.5 million club option for 2024.
Alderson added that deGrom’s status for the rest of the season is “very much up in the air.” Since he hasn’t pitched since July 7 and isn’t stretched out and there’s less than a month left in the schedule, it seems unlikely that deGrom will be able to return in 2021, especially as a starter, unless the Mets make the playoffs.
deGrom was unquestionably the best pitcher in baseball before the All-Star break, posting a 1.08 ERA with a 0.55 WHIP, 146 strikeouts, and 11 walks over 92 innings spanning 15 starts. His absence has had a significantly negative effect on the Mets, who went 48-40 before the break but are 21-29 in the second half.
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