New York Mets Rumors: Jacob DeGrom Ready For Return From Surgery?

New York Mets rumors finally give fans some answers about Jacob deGrom and how he is progressing following surgery. A report by the New York Post addresses the season-ending elbow surgery that deGrom had last September, revealing a timetable that the franchise has him on for the 2017 MLB season. The good news is that deGrom should be ready to go by Spring Training.

Toward the end of last season, deGrom was feeling pain in his elbow and decided to go through a procedure to deal with it. The procedure involved repositioning his ulnar nerve, ruling him out for the final games of the regular season as well as the Wild Card game against the San Francisco Giants. The Mets failed to advance past that game and went into the offseason seeking to improve the roster.

Getting Jacob deGrom back on the mound (and healthy) may be the best news that New York Mets fans hear this offseason. DeGrom also spoke briefly about what led up to his decision to have the season-ending surgery.

“It started with some tingling in my fingers. Then it turned into a sharp pain. I don’t know if it’s because it was getting aggravated more, but that’s what was happening.”

In addition to deGrom being healthy again, Mets fans will have something else to look forward to in the regular season. For the first time, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler could all be in the same starting rotation. Due to injuries among those pitchers, they have never been active at the same time for the Mets. If the team can get them all healthy and into the rotation at the same time, the Mets would immediately become a very formidable team in the National League. DeGrom also commented on that possibility.

“I think it could be a lot of fun. I’m definitely looking forward to what it could be, and I think everybody else on the staff is, too.”

These New York Mets rumors will not only please fans of the team, but also fantasy baseball owners interested in his return. He should be ready to go in Spring Training, which would then lead to an active spot on the Opening Day roster. That would be a big deal for the team and give them a nice boost of momentum.

Jacob deGrom pitched 24 games during the 2016 season, posting a 7-8 record, 3.04 ERA, and 1.203 WHIP. Over three seasons with the Mets, he has started 76 games, going 30-22 with a 2.74 ERA and 1.095 WHIP in that time. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 2014 and made the NL All-Star team in 2015. Now he hopes to find more success following his surgery.

In his first arbitration-eligible year, deGrom got a nice pay raise from $607,000 up to $4.05 million. Performing well during the 2017 MLB season would help drive up his value, thus likely resulting in another big pay bump. It’s possible that if deGrom can prove he is healthy again, that the front office of the Mets will look into offering a contract extension to cover his arbitration years as well his first few years of potential free agency.

Pitchers and catchers for the Mets report to Spring Training on February 13. The first workouts are scheduled for February 14, followed by the position players arriving on February 18 to get things started in the Grapefruit League. The first full team workouts are scheduled for February 19.

The first Spring Training game is scheduled for Friday, February 24, for the Mets, with the matchup taking place in Fort Myers against the Boston Red Sox. This will reward baseball fans who have been waiting all winter for some February action on the diamond. Opening Day for the New York Mets will then take place on Monday, April 3 against the Atlanta Braves.

[Featured Image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]