Jacob deGrom Throws Off Mound With “No Complaints”

Jacob deGrom threw off a mound Sunday morning for the first time since landing on the injured list a week ago with right forearm tightness.

Luis Rojas reported that deGrom said he felt “good” and that there were “no complaints” stemming from the bullpen session. It’s not clear yet how many pitches deGrom threw, and Rojas said he didn’t talk to deGrom much more outside of those brief comments.

The 33-year-old ace had solely been throwing off flat ground over the course of the last week since the Mets placed him on the IL. DeGrom originally felt the forearm discomfort after his last start before the All-Star break. He assumed it would go away by the time the team came back for the second half, but the pain persisted throughout throwing sessions during the break and once the team culminated in Pittsburgh.

An MRI revealed no structural damage, but the Mets said he wouldn’t throw off a mound again until there was no pain when he threw. The bullpen session Sunday is a big step to returning back to the team’s injury-ravaged rotation.

The next steps, whether they be a rehab start, a live batting practice or his 16th start of the 2021 season, are still to be determined.

DeGrom is 7-2 this season with a minuscule 1.08 ERA. He’s struck out 146 batters in 92 innings. He’s currently on the IL for the second time in 2021, though, and is going through his fifth bout with an injury or soreness this year. DeGrom said the four previous injuries, which were to his elbow, shoulder and lat, came from swinging a bat. This forearm soreness came from pitching, he said.