Mets' Jacob DeGrom Suffers Setback in Recovery from Shoulder Injury

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom suffered a setback in his recovery from his shoulder injury.

According to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, deGrom experienced "mild muscle soreness around his shoulder" on Sunday, which led the Mets to push back his simulated game that was scheduled for Thursday. deGrom had played catch on Monday and Tuesday without any issues, but the team still felt the need to delay his return to the mound "out of an abundance of caution."

DiComo added that the Mets might have to wait until August for deGrom to return.

DeGrom was limited to just 15 starts in 2021 and hasn't played since July 2021 due to a number of ailments, including forearm and elbow issues. More recently, he has been dealing with a stress reaction in his right shoulder.

When healthy, the 34-year-old is one of the best pitchers in baseball. He went 7-2 last season with a 1.08 ERA, .554 WHIP and 146 strikeouts in 92 innings.

With the four-time All-Star sidelined, the Mets have relied on offseason additions Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt, in addition to Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and David Peterson. New York's pitching staff has combined for a 3.61 ERA this season, the sixth-best in baseball.

Even without deGrom, the Mets have been one of the best teams in baseball. They sit first in the NL East with a 58-35 record.