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Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom will be undergoing surgery this week, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN. The surgery would be to repair the ulnar nerve in his pitching elbow, according to Rubin.
The Mets currently have a one game lead in the NL Wild Card race, ahead of the Giants and the Cardinals, who are tied for the second Wild Card spot.
This season, deGrom has a 3.04 ERA and a bWAR of 3.5. As it stands, the Mets’ starting rotation includes Noah Syndergaard, Robert Gsellman, Bartolo Colon, and Seth Lugo. There’s no official word on who would pitch after Lugo in the rotation.
One of the Mets’ trouble spots this year has been injuries to pitchers in the rotation. Both Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler out with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Tommy John surgery, respectively. It’s also not as though there are options with Triple-A Las Vegas, especially now that the minor league season is over.
It’s clear that the Mets need some kind of miracle—or bubble wrap—to keep their rotation in tact as they try to go for another long postseason appearance. Whether or not they’ll be able to hold everything together until they clinch a playoff berth remains to be seen.
According to Rubin, deGrom’s return timetable is about three months, so he should be ready for spring training, barring any setbacks.