Mets' Jacob deGrom to Return from Injury for Season Debut vs. Nationals on Tuesday

Jacob deGrom is back.

The New York Mets ace will make his season debut Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, manager Buck Showalter told reporters Sunday.

"It's been a long time," deGrom said. "This has been a pretty slow process of coming back, so excited to be out there. Nerves haven't really set in yet, but I'm sure Tuesday I'll be pretty nervous."

A stress reaction in deGrom's right shoulder has kept him out of the entire 2022 season, and he hasn't pitched since July 2021 due to multiple ailments, including forearm and elbow issues.

The 34-year-old had reportedly suffered a setback in his recovery after experiencing muscle soreness, which caused the Mets to push back a simulated start that had been scheduled for July 21.

DeGrom is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball when healthy. He struck out 146 batters in 92 innings last season on his way to a 7-2 record with a 1.08 ERA and .554 WHIP.

Despite his absence, the Mets have been one of the best teams in the majors with a 63-37 record that has them three games clear of the Atlanta Braves atop the NL East. New York's pitching staff has been outstanding, as the team ranks fifth in MLB with a collective ERA of 3.55.

The offseason additions of Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt have lived up to their reputations with strong seasons, while incumbent starters Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker and David Peterson have all been solid this year as well.

New York is attempting to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016, so the team will be hoping to have deGrom back in the rotation at some point this year.