ARLINGTON — Stop me if you’ve heard this one: Jacob deGrom threw off a mound for the first time this season Monday. It’s a familiar storyline for a familiar player in an unfamiliar place.
This time, deGrom wasn’t throwing in the Citi Field bullpen to one of their two longtime bullpen catchers. The two-time Cy Young Award winner wore blue, but there was no orange to be found.
At this point, it might be hard to remember the deGrom that dazzled in New York. It’s hard to remember that the Mets once had arguably the best pitcher in the world. DeGrom was barely visible his last few years in Flushing, as injuries to his right elbow, right shoulder, neck, back, side and forearm limited him to only 38 starts over his final three seasons with the Mets.
After spurning the team that drafted him to sign a five-year, $185 million pact with the Texas Rangers in December 2022, deGrom made only six starts before disaster struck once again and he underwent a second Tommy John surgery.
But Monday afternoon at Globe Life Field, deGrom was no longer a figment of the imagination as he threw 15 fastballs and then drew a crowd in the home dugout, along with another injured former Mets ace, Max Scherzer.
“I’m not sure of the timeline, but I’m feeling really good,” he said. “I touched the mound for the first time today, so that went really well. One day at a time, I’ve got two more times this week, and then just need to keep moving forward from there.”
This is the first time deGrom has seen the Mets since he left Queens following the Mets’ disappointing Game 3 loss in the NL Wild Card round in October 2022. When the Rangers visited New York last year, they came without deGrom, who was rehabbing from Tommy John. He caught up with former teammates Brandon Nimmo, Adam Ottavino, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz before the first game of the series, with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner joining the group in the outfield as well.
“I keep in touch with those guys,” he said. “Those guys are lifelong friends.”
Why he left is still a mystery, and probably will remain one given deGrom’s notoriously reclusive nature. He doesn’t care for the spotlight, despite how he pitches when it’s on him, and he doesn’t care for media attention. His departure still stings for many in Queens, but fans have reconciled with the fact not only is he gone, but he isn’t contributing for Texas either.
Injuries are as much a part of his legacy with the Mets as his successes. There were persistent questions about whether or not he even wanted to pitch and whether or not he wanted to be in New York by the time he announced that he would opt out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent in 2023.
It matters little now. He’s working toward a return to the mound and seemed optimistic about this latest step forward.
“I’ve been through this before so I knew what to expect,” he said. “I knew it was a long road, so the main thing was to try to be smart and not to do too much. We’ve been sticking with the program.”
If deGrom is harboring any ill will about the Mets organization, he isn’t vocalizing it. The Mets took a chance on a converted college shortstop and helped mold him into an ace. He’s grateful for the Mets, though clearly ready to move on from the narrative that followed him in New York.
“I’m forever thankful for the Mets organization.” deGrom said. “I’ve said that before. They drafted me and I spent nine years of my career there. I definitely enjoyed my time there, and when I was a Met my goal was to put the team in a position to win and leave it all out on the field, and that’s what I tried to do every fifth day.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity that the organization gave me.”
