New York Mets Injury Update: Jacob deGrom return looms closer, team releases progress report

A healthy Jacob deGrom is the best pitcher in baseball. His career ERA is 2.50, which is better than what most pitchers can manage in a month. He's a four-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner. He's finished in the top-10 for MVP voting twice. The last time he pitched a full season was in 2019. He threw 204 innings and struck out 255 batters. Imagine a New York Mets pitching rotation including him this year. It's already good enough, but it would become unstoppable.

But deGrom being healthy is always a big "if." He's yet to make his 2022 regular season debut, as he's been sidelined with a shoulder injury since March. He's inching closer to a return, and the Mets just released some big news indicating when that may be.

Jacob deGrom inches closer to a return

Jacob deGrom has resumed incline-throwing practice

deGrom resumed throwing practice some time ago, but it was light work and from a very short distance. Now he's getting back into the ordinary routine of being a pitcher and throwing from 60-feet out at greater speeds. Granted, he's still throwing off a flat surface instead of a mound, indicating his return is still several weeks away.

"Jacob deGrom (stress reaction in right scapula) recently began throwing off flat ground from 60 feet at light intensity. He'll undergo more testing -- deGrom's third set of tests since the final week of March -- in about a week. That should inform the timeline of his ramp-up." - @Antgony DiComo

Mets beat writer recently Tweeted that deGrom is still pitching a "light intensity," but that the distance has increased significantly. What's more, he's undergoing his third round of tests this week. Jacob deGrom's new MRI test results should provide a vague timeline for his return, so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, Buck Showalter is pleased with deGrom's progress. In an interview with the Mets media, he said that the All-Star is "right where he's supposed to be."

"'Everything's going well, he's where he's supposed to be' - Buck Showalter on Jacob deGrom" - @SNY

Showalter would love to have deGrom back. But seeing as the team is 20-8 without him, Showalter knows that deGrom can take his time and the team will be just fine.

One Twitter user thinks deGrom could play in his current state and still tear up the league.

"DeGrom throwing in “light intensity” is probably still un-hitable for most of the league honestly" - @Jocelyn

But as Showalter said, deGrom is in the right place right now. The Mets will have to adjust their pitching lineup accordingly once he's ready to make his return. That won't be easy for Showalter. Tylor Megill has earned his spot in the rotation, and Carlos Carrasco is hardly the type of pitcher managers want to relegate to the bullpen. Making room for "deGoat" won't be easy for Showalter, but he'll have to in the next few weeks.