With the luxury of an eight-game lead in the National League East, Marc Carig of Newsday reports that the Mets have decided to push back Jacob deGrom’s next start.
DeGrom was originally scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday against the Braves. However, Logan Verrett will now get the assignment. According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Mets manager Terry Collins said no official decision has been made on when deGrom will pitch again. Depending on when they clinch the division, he could be skipped next week altogether.
Some extra rest isn’t a bad idea for deGrom, who has logged a career-high 181 innings this season while posting a 2.64 ERA. He threw 178 2/3 innings between the majors and minors last season. DeGrom hasn’t been nearly as sharp of late, posting a 6.41 ERA over his last five starts. The hope is that the time off will help his command in advance of the postseason.
