deGrom to stay shut down for 2 more weeks

NEW YORK -- Mets ace Jacob deGrom, who is battling inflammation in his right elbow, will remain shut down for two more weeks after undergoing an MRI exam this week, manager Luis Rojas said Friday.

On Thursday, deGrom sought a second opinion in Los Angeles from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who made the recommendation of not throwing for that period of time.

Rojas said the inflammation has improved since deGrom was initially shut down on July 30, but it has not improved enough to start a throwing program. When those two weeks are up, deGrom will undergo more imaging. Rojas said that the right-hander doesn't have ligament damage, but he needs more time to heal.

deGrom looked poised to capture his third NL Cy Young Award after posting a 1.08 ERA in his first 15 appearances, despite a host of nagging injuries. But he has not pitched since July 7 due to the most recent issues with his right arm.

“He is frustrated. He wants to pitch. He wants to help the team, but there is nothing he can do,” Rojas said. “He has to commit to those two weeks and follow the expert’s [advice], do the treatment, do everything. There is some improvement. But [the doctor would] probably like to see more.”

The Mets are not thinking about deGrom past the two weeks. The team doesn’t know if he will be able to pitch during the pennant stretch. New York entered Friday a half-game behind the Phillies in the National League East.

“We are going to trust that the two weeks [of no throwing] are going to be well for him,” Rojas said. “We’ll see what the next imaging shows, and then we’ll reassess after we hear from the doctor.”

Lindor showing progress
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (right oblique strain) showed progress on Friday afternoon by taking batting practice, doing fielding drills and running the bases. While he can swing from the right side of the plate without any problems, Lindor is taking only dry swings from the left side. According to Rojas, the right oblique is still progressing.

“He’s had a really good week,” Rojas said. “We still don’t have a timeline for him. This week was outstanding for him. He is progressing well and looking strong.”

Lindor told local reporters on Friday that he is pain-free.

“I’m not sore. Yeah, I’m tired. That’s a good feeling,” Lindor said. “It goes day by day. We are checking boxes every single day and we move from there.”

Báez placed on IL
Infielder Javier Báez was placed on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Thursday, because of back spasms. He has been bothered by the injury since Sunday against the Phillies, but was only able to pinch-hit since then.

“It’s not a lot of improvement. It’s the same status,” Rojas said before the announcement was made.

Báez hasn’t seen much action since joining the Mets in a trade with the Cubs on July 30. He has appeared in 10 games for New York and is 6-for-35 (.171) with two home runs and three RBIs.