Mets' Jacob deGrom to Miss Opening Day Because of Stress Injury in Shoulder

New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom will miss Opening Day after an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his right scapula, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The veteran is expected to miss "a significant amount of time" to open the 2022 campaign, Passan added. 

The news was confirmed on social media by the Mets.

New York Mets @Mets

Jacob deGrom underwent an MRI today that revealed a stress reaction on his scapula that has caused inflammation in the area. The immediate prescription is for Jake to discontinue throwing for up to 4 weeks and then reimage the area. At that time, we’ll update the plan of care.

DeGrom was off to a historic start in 2021 with a microscopic 1.08 ERA through 15 starts before suffering forearm and elbow injuries in July, which forced him to miss the remainder of the season.

So it was concerning when Mets manager Buck Showalter announced the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner was dealing with shoulder tightness in his pitching arm during this year's spring training.

The 33-year-old Florida native has been one of the best pitchers in baseball, finishing six of his first eight seasons with an ERA below 2.70.

The Mets have another ace in Max Scherzer and solid pitching depth courtesy of Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker, which should help the club stay competitive.

Having deGrom sidelined for an extended period of time would be a major blow, though. It's impossible to replace one of baseball's most valuable players, especially for a club that's trying to live up to World Series-level expectations.