#Mets’ Jacob deGrom eyeing Opening Day start after injury scare

After incurring back stiffness during a scrimmage-game appearance earlier this week and receiving a subsequent clean MRI exam, the Mets right-hander Thursday indicated he’s thinking toward July 24 and the Braves.

“I feel good,” deGrom said at Citi Field. “That’s the goal, to pitch on Opening Day.”

Manager Luis Rojas was cautious in his comments and said the situation will be assessed on a daily basis. Rojas would not commit to a schedule for deGrom until seeing how the right-hander feels over the next day or two.

DeGrom indicated he felt “great” during a bullpen session Sunday and two days later was tight when he took the mound for his start in the intrasquad scrimmage. He alerted team officials and was removed after one inning for what he says were precautionary reasons.

The Mets are still formulating a plan, but deGrom will throw Friday — and potentially could start against the Yankees in an exhibition game two days later. DeGrom said he isn’t concerned about stamina.

“As far as how my arm has felt, I think at home I was throwing 50-60 pitches straight, and then here, my first one I threw three innings and felt I could keep going,” deGrom said. “So I feel that keeping my arm ready while I was at home, hopefully we can push that a little further than three innings.”

DeGrom said he ideally would be in position to throw 85 pitches on Opening Day — instead of 100, as would be the case if he wasn’t removed early from his last start. In a 60-game season, the Mets do not want to waste the opportunity to pitch deGrom even once, but also won’t push him if he isn’t ready.

DeGrom’s first career Opening Day start came last season against the Nationals. The Mets ace is attempting to join Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux among pitchers who have won at least three straight Cy Young awards. DeGrom last season went 11-8 with a 2.43 ERA and led the National League with 255 strikeouts in 204 innings.

Two years ago deGrom had back stiffness in spring training that kept him from starting the opener (he was replaced by Noah Syndergaard and instead pitched Game 2 of the season). But deGrom doesn’t believe there is any correlation between the two back ailments.

“This was out of the blue, so I think I must have slept wrong,” deGrom said.

“This was nothing like one pitch, it was just something that didn’t loosen up.


“If that was a regular game I wouldn’t have said anything. But as far as it being a spring training game or summer camp game there was no reason to push through something and risk actually injuring myself, so it was out of abundance of caution and just trying to play it smart.”

Rojas said he was encouraged by deGrom’s clean MRI exam.

“Let’s now see that treatment and how he keeps responding to it,” Rojas said.