New York Mets ace, Jacob deGrom, made his return to the mound during Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. The start marked his return after dealing with a lat issue followed by complications revolving around his newborn son.
DeGrom, 27, was solid in his return, pitching 5.2 quality innings. He allowed just one run on eight hits, while striking out three. Jacob improved to 2-0 on the season. DeGrom was said to be on a pitch count of 85 max, and he pitched to 82. Jacob was pleased with his day on the mound, and even more so that his son got to watch him pitch from the comfort of their Florida home with his wife Stacey.
“She had him up for a little bit watching it,” deGrom said. “So it meant a lot. That last week or so, there were some ups and downs. But I think to get back out here and get back playing, it was exciting. To get that win first game back is definitely nice to have.” (ESPN)
Jacob was said to be more nervous than normal as he made his return to the Mets, helping them to complete the sweep of the three game set in Atlanta. DeGrom confirmed having no issues with his lat during his performance, providing even more good news to a team who has begun to roll as of late. His son, Jaxon, had spent time in the NICU for five days due to complications with breathing while sleeping before being discharged. During this time, deGrom tried to stay fresh while throwing sessions in Florida.
“I think getting back in a game was a little strange,” deGrom said. “You try to simulate that down in Florida, but I think an actual game is a little different.”
Jacob was quite pleased with his second start of the season, picking up his second win, and continuing to pitch to a low ERA of 1.54. His only complaint seeming to be that he felt he should have been able to put away a few more batters by way of punch-out than he had.
“I had a lot of guys with two strikes that I couldn’t put away,” he said. “I kind of went to the curveball a little more than I usually do. I feel like that’s my fourth-best pitch. I don’t really know why I went to it. I have no explanation for that. But, looking back, I would have rather challenged them with a slider or changeup, or even another fastball. Other than that, I’m pretty happy with the outcome.”
DeGrom had great control on the day, walking no batters. He showed great movement on his pitches and looked to be prepared after not pitching since the home opener on April 8th.
“That’s a good sign,” deGrom said. “You have that much time off, and you go down in Florida and you try to get your work in, but there was a lot going on. That was one of my issues — hoping that I had the command that I did today. I’m happy with giving up no walks.”
It has been a whirlwind for deGrom over the past few weeks between dealing with the health complications of his newborn son and the much less important right lat muscle injury. The way he handled himself on the mound on Sunday really goes to the character and type of pitcher deGrom is. He was poised, confident and in control.
