The leading contender for the NL Cy Young Award will return to action on Tuesday night when Jacob deGrom takes the hill for the New York Mets against the Colorado Rockies.
deGrom missed more than two weeks with right side tightness, an injury that required the ace to spend time on the 10-day injured list.
deGrom unhittable in 2021
While on rehab, deGrom pitched once for Low-A affiliate St. Lucie on Thursday, striking out eight batters in three hitless innings. deGrom has been stellar in the majors this year, compiling a 0.68 ERA and a 3-2 record while striking out 65 batters in just 40 innings.
Those kinds of numbers have made deGrom the overwhelming favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award this season. FanDuel Sportsbook lists the Mets hurler as a -125 pick to win the honor, which would be his third time winning the award.
| NL Cy Young Award Odds (via FanDuel Sportsbook) | |
| Jacob deGrom: -125 | Corbin Burnes: +600 |
| Brandon Woodruff: +1000 | Yu Darvish: +1400 |
| Max Scherzer: +1600 | Jack Flaherty: +1800 |
| Trevor Bauer: +1800 | Kevin Gausman: +2000 |
The Mets and deGrom come in as -260 favorites to win at home on Tuesday night. The Rockies (+215) will send Kyle Freeland to the mound. New York currently leads the NL East at 21-10, though the entire division is within two games of the lead. But while deGrom’s return will bolster the Mets, the team will be missing some key offensive parts into the early summer.
Mets lead the league in injuries
On Monday, Mets general manager Zack Scott told reporters that both outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Jeff McNeil will be out for at least another month.
Both Conforto and McNeil suffered hamstring injuries on April 30, and haven’t played since.
“They’re significant hamstring strains,†Scott told reporters on Monday. “If I’m putting a time frame on that, we’re probably looking at late June.â€
Mets fans have learned to expect injuries from the team in recent years. The franchise has developed a reputation for being injury-prone, and for players spending more time on the IL than initially expected. New York currently has 16 players on the IL, the highest number in the majors.
While that number is concerning, it also means that New York could significantly improve its roster for the stretch run. Starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and will move up to Triple-A Syracuse as he makes his way back to the majors.
Carlos Carrasco has yet to make a start for the Mets after the team acquired him in the same trade that brought Francisco Lindor to New York. Carrasco strained his right hamstring in spring training, and the Mets initially expected him to miss six weeks. He’s now on the 60-day IL. Scott said Carrasco could miss another six weeks, Scott said during his update on Monday.
The Mets are also dealing with a series of outfield injuries. Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar, and Albert Almora Jr. were all out for Monday night’s loss to the Rockies. Rookie Johneshwy Fargas joined that list during the game after he crashed into the centerfield wall.
New York remains a -105 favorite to win the NL East this season, ahead of the Braves (+220) and Phillies (+450).
