Mets’ Jacob deGrom likely to miss next start with elbow inflammation

For once, the Mets may have caught a break. After much injury speculation surrounding Jacob deGrom earlier today, the Mets announced that deGrom is merely experiencing inflammation in his pitching elbow. Tests conducted today revealed no structural damage. He will likely miss his next start but is otherwise okay.

Rumors swirled after deGrom left following the fifth inning last night, having allowed three earned runs on six hits and four walks, and sought out trainer Ray Ramirez. When interviewed after the game, deGrom denied any medical issues, stating that he was fine. The start came on a few extra days of rest after Rafael Montero took his spot in the rotation on Monday.

Until recently, deGrom was one of the top pitchers in all of baseball. As of August 13, he had a 2.29 ERA and was working his way into the Cy Young conversation. Three bad starts later, his ERA has risen to a still-extremely-good 3.04.

With deGrom missing this start, the Mets’ rotation takes yet another hit. By now, they expected to have an all-ace rotation consisting of deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler. Of those, only Syndergaard is currently healthy, and even he is dealing with a bone spur in his elbow. The healthiest member of the staff, against all odds, is 43-year-old Bartolo Colon.

The Mets now roll out a rotation consisting of Colon, Syndergaard, Seth Lugo, and Robert Gsellman. The team has not yet announced who will take deGrom’s next turn in the rotation.