Mets ace deGrom still targeting opening day, but team unsure
NEW YORK (AP) — Jacob deGrom still plans to pitch on opening day, although New York Mets manager Luis Rojas didn’t sound so sure that will happen.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner said he felt good Thursday, two days after leaving an intrasquad game early because of back tightness. A precautionary MRI came back clean, and deGrom thinks he simply might have slept “wrong” the night before.
He still believes he can tune up this weekend in an exhibition game against the Yankees — perhaps Sunday now instead of Saturday — and wants to start the season opener July 24 against Atlanta as scheduled. The right-hander said he might only be able to throw about 85 pitches rather than the 100 or so he was targeting, but his goal remains to take the ball.
Rojas, however, said the team is taking a day-to-day approach as deGrom receives treatment.
“See how he feels tomorrow,” Rojas said. “We have to get through this couple of days at least.”
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