deGrom (right lat) shut down for few days

May 4th, 2021

Mets ace Jacob deGrom was scratched from his scheduled start against the Cardinals on Tuesday due to inflammation in his right lat, the team announced. deGrom was not placed on the injured list, but he will refrain from throwing for the next few days.

Righty Miguel Castro was to start in deGrom’s place, but the game was postponed due to poor weather conditions. Jordan Yamamoto was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, where reliever Sean Reid-Foley was optioned.

Manager Luis Rojas saw deGrom stretching and trying to work out this tightness before the game. Once the decision to scratch him was final, the team decided to send him for further evaluation. deGrom’s past two starts were initially pushed back a day -- April 28 versus the Red Sox and Tuesday’s at Busch Stadium -- in an effort to ensure the righty’s longevity throughout the season. Tuesday was the first Rojas heard of this ailment.

It was to be Castro's third career start. The first two came with the Orioles in the 2017 and ‘18 seasons. In his 10 appearances this year, he owns a 3.60 ERA, though he has yet to toss more than 1 2/3 innings in an outing.

“Everyone's on their toes, a bunch of guys in there said ‘Give me the ball, I'll start,'” Rojas said. “[Marcus] Stroman, who is our pitcher tomorrow, asked me if I wanted him to start. So even though it’s been some of those challenging moments, it's been comforting to see how the guys are just ready and they don't get stuck in the moment. That has shown that family concept in here when you face some tough times.”