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    Mets' Jacob DeGrom Placed on IL After Elbow Injury Diagnosed as Soreness

    Rob Goldberg@TheRobGoldbergX.com LogoFeatured ColumnistApril 19, 2019

    New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) winds up during the first inning of an interleague baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, April 9, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
    Kathy Willens/Associated Press

    New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom will undergo an MRI and be placed on the IL as the result of his elbow "barking" after he did some throwing on Friday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

    GM Brodie Van Wagenen released a statement on the injury, per Andy Martino of SNY:

    "Jacob dealt with sickness over the last week and hasn't been able to conduct his normal routine between starts. As a result, he has been scratched from tomorrow's game. Additionally, Jacob experienced some mild soreness in his throwing arm over the last 24 hours. His arm felt significantly better following treatment with our health and performance staff today. Even so, Jacob will be evaluated by our medical team in New York on Monday in the abundance of caution."

    Mets manager Mickey Callaway detailed the situation to SNY: 

    SNY @SNYtv

    Jacob deGrom's elbow felt a little off after playing catch yesterday on his off day, Mickey Callaway said https://t.co/O09TdRBNWv

    His next scheduled start had previously been pushed back from Friday to Saturday due to strep throat, per DiComo.

    Mets' Jacob DeGrom Placed on IL After Elbow Injury Diagnosed as Soreness
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    The starter has established himself as one of the best pitchers in baseball and entered the day with a 2-2 record and a 3.68 ERA through his first four starts of 2019.

    This comes after winning the Cy Young in 2018 with his MLB-best 1.70 ERA. He also set career highs with 269 strikeouts and 217 innings, helping voters overlook his 10-9 record.

    Although he had been overshadowed by other pitchers in the Mets rotation during his career, deGrom showed that he is arguably the most valuable player on the roster. That earned him a five-year, $137.5 million extension in March.

    Unfortunately, this makes the latest injury a scary one for New York.

    Even with other top starters like Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler in the rotation, the Mets will lose a lot of production if deGrom misses an extended period of time.

    The 30-year-old has avoided major injuries throughout his career but has had a few stints on the disabled list in recent years that often cause him to miss a start or two. After signing a massive five-year extension with the team, however, the goal will be to keep deGrom healthy.