March 31 (UPI) — New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom experienced tightness in his right shoulder while throwing long toss and is unlikely to make his scheduled spring start Friday. Speaking after New York’s spring training loss to the Washington Nationals on Thursday, Mets manager Buck Showalter told reporters that deGrom will be re-evaluated Friday. If deGrom is unable to start against the St. Louis Cardinals, he likely will undergo an MRI on the shoulder.
“We are going to see how he is in the morning before we scratch him,” Showalter said. “But he has to be pretty convincing to pitch him [Friday]. I’ll be surprised if he pitches [Friday] — rain or no rain.”
The timing of the injury is far from ideal for the Mets, who are set to open the season in a week. DeGrom is slated to pitch in the team’s opener against the Nationals.
Showalter declined to reveal whether deGrom’s shoulder ailment will prevent him from making his Opening Day start.
DeGrom, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, started last season with a 7-2 record and 1.08 ERA over 15 outings before a forearm injury sidelined him for the entire second half of the 2021 campaign.
