Mets Minors Recap: DeGrom Makes Third Rehab Start

Photo by James Farrance

Thursday night was all about Jacob deGrom, who was making his third rehab start as he works his way back from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of all of the 2022 season to this point. He tossed four stellar innings for the Syracuse Mets with Francisco Álvarez catching him, allowing two hits and a lone unearned run while striking out four.

AAA: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (46-41) 4, Syracuse Mets (39-48) 6 Box Score

C Francisco Álvarez: 0-for-1, RBI, 3 BB, .083/.324/.125
1B Mark Vientos: 0-for-3, RBI, BB, SO, .255/.339/.498
CF Terrance Gore: 2-for-3, RBI, 2 R, BB, .176/.263/.176

All seven hits that the Mets had on Thursday were singles, but they managed to score six runs and secure a victory due to timely hitting. Francisco Álvarez drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, his third RBI in eight games with Syracuse, and he reached base three times all via the walk. He is only hitting .083 (2-for-24) in those eight games, but Álvarez has drawn seven walks in that span. Mark Vientos drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk for his 11^th RBI in 14 games during the month of July.

Khalil Lee also had two hits on the night to raise his July OPS to 1.011.

RHP Jacob deGrom: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), BB, 4 K
LHP Sam Clay: (W, 2-2), IP, H, 0 ER, 2.95 ERA
LHP Rob Zastryzny: IP, H, 0 ER, 2 K, 3.76 ERA

This was deGrom’s longest rehab start of the three he has made so far, and through those three starts he has gone 8 2/3 innings allowing five hits and no earned runs while recording 11 strikeouts. It is unclear if the ace pitcher will rejoin the Mets as soon as the All-Star break is over, but all signs point to a return being imminent.

AA: Binghamton Rumble Ponies (32-52) 6, Erie SeaWolves (48-35) 1 Box Score

3B Brett Baty: 1-for-4, R, BB, SO, .279/.374/.471
SS Ronny Mauricio: 0-for-5, R, 2 SO, .241/.277/.466
2B Luke Ritter: 2-for-5, HR (8), 2 RBI, SO, .253/.356/.457
RF Cody Bohanek: 3-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, R, .172/.333/.241

The Rumble Ponies snapped a long eight-game losing streak, scoring all six of their runs in the first two innings and putting the game to rest early. The scoring was capped off by Luke Ritter’s eighth home run of the season, and the offense combined for six extra-base hits. Brett Baty reached base twice and scored a run, and Ronny Mauricio also scored a run.

RHP José Butto: (W, 6-5), 6.2 IP, 7 H, ER, 6 K, 3.73 ERA
RHP Alex Valverde: IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 5.76 ERA
RHP Grant Hartwig: IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K, 0.00 ERA

José Butto is putting together an outstanding month of July, and that continued on Thursday with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Butto has a 1.83 ERA through three July starts (19 2/3 innings), striking out 20 batters and walking just two. The bullpen combined for 2 1/3 hitless innings, and Grant Hartwig has yet to allow a run in either of his first two appearances for Binghamton.

A+: Greensboro Grasshoppers (35-47) 6, Brooklyn Cyclones (39-45) 5 Box Score

3B José Peroza: 1-for-5, HR (5), 2 RBI, 2 SO, .215/.298/.336
LF Matt Rudick: 2-for-4, RBI, BB, .221/.341/.360
2B Nic Gaddis: 1-for-3, 3B, 2 R, 2 BB, SO, .218/.341/.391

The Cyclones staked their claim to a 4-1 lead after the third inning, but the offense went quiet after that and fell just short of staging a ninth-inning comeback. Jose Peroza socked his fifth home run of the year and is on a tear in the month of July, hitting .313 with three home runs. Alex Ramirez had a day off after going 0-for-12 in his last three games.

RHP Luis Moreno: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 2 K, 3.51 ERA
RHP Brendan Hardy: 1.1 IP, H, ER, BB, SO, 4.50 ERA
RRP Justin Courtney: (L, 4-3), 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, SO, 3.90 ERA

Luis Moreno put together his third consecutive strong outing, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings and departing with his team in the lead. Unfortunately, the bullpen gave up that lead by allowing four runs across the seventh and eighth innings. It was ultimately Justin Courtney who blew the save and was saddled with the loss.

A: Dunedin Blue Jays (36-47) 4, St. Lucie Mets (51-32) 5 Box Score

RF Carlos Domínguez: 1-for-3, HR (16), 2 RBI, 2 R, SO, .238/.317/.471
DH Omar De Los Santos: 1-for-4, RBI, 2 SO, .282/.347/.513
SS Junior Tilien: 2-for-4, 2B, R, .261/.307/.456

The Mets staged late-game heroics with a tying run in the ninth inning and a walk-off hit in the tenth inning, securing their fourth straight victory in the process. Carlos Domínguez launched his 16^th home run of the season in the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3, and Omar De Los Santos drove in the winning run with an RBI single in extras.

LHP Keyshawn Askew: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 1.67 ERA
RHP Jace Beck: 2.0 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, 2 SO, 0.00 ERA
RHP Benito García: (W, 1-0), 3.0 IP, H, ER, 3 K, 3.00 ERA

Keyshawn Askew made just his fourth start of the season and performed admirably by batting through five innings for just the second time all year. The bullpen behind him was superb, as Jace Beck has now tossed seven scoreless appearances (7 1/3 innings) for St. Lucie, while Benito García picked up the win in his first appearance at the Single-A level.

Complex League: FCL Cardinals (12-14) 3, FCL Mets (16-11) 2 F/8 Box Score

RF Blaine McIntosh: 1-for-4, R, SO

The Mets combined for just four hits, all singles, as the team stumbled their way to an extra-inning loss.

RHP Layonel Ovalles: 4.1 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 5 K

Complex League: FCL Mets (16-11) 9, FCL Cardinals (12-14) 0 [SUSP, TOP 4] Box Score

LF Karell Paz: 3-for-3, 2 2B, RBI

The Mets’ bats came alive in the second game of the day against the Cardinals, scoring nine runs before the game was suspended in the fourth inning due to lightning.

RHP Jawilme Ramirez: 3.0 IP, H, 0 ER, 5 K

Dominican League: DSL Mets2 (12-18) 8, DSL CLE Red (9-20) 7 Box Score

1B Jose Marcano: 2-for-4, HR (1), 3 RBI, 2 R, SO

Jose Marcano led the way with a three-run home run as the Mets secured victory in a tight contest. Willy Fanas has not played since July 5^th.

LHP Jeremy Peguero: (W, 4-2), 2.1 IP, 0 H, 1 R (0 ER), BB, 2 K

Dominican League: DSL CLE Blue (17-13) 5, DSL Mets1 (16-13) 4 Box Score

CF Simon Juan: 1-for-2, 2B, R, 2 BB, SO
2B Jesus Baez: 1-for-2, R, BB
CF Dyron Campos: 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI, SO

The Mets may have lost, but they got big contributions across the board. Simon Juan reached base three times and scored a run, Jesus Baez also scored a run, and Dyron Campos hit a bases-clearing double in the seventh inning that brought the game within a single run.