Not Quite There

Jacob deGrom wasn't in prime form as he made what he hopes will be his final rehab start.

Over four innings and 67 pitches for the Syracuse Mets, he was tagged for a pair of second inning home runs -- by Royals prospects Brewer Hicklen (closeup below) and Drew Waters -- and walked three, while striking out six.  To be fair, the former Cy Young winner calmed down and was dominating in the 3rd and 4th innings, but the damage had already been done (the Omaha Stormchasers went on to a 10-4 win).

Below, Walters, connecting, then following the flight of his ball... 
As it soard toward and past the pole.

From that point on, deGrom looked his old self, retiring seven straight Omaha batters -- including Royals catcher Salvador Perez (also on a rehab assignment), in a rematch of the 2015 World Series.
Only one question was left: after 67 pitches over four innings, would deGrom take (the mound for) the 5th? 
The answer was no, as his day ended with more questions than answers:  Does he appear ready to face the Nats or Braves next week? Why did it take him two innings to "find his form?"  Is he feeling 100%? Will he need another minor league tuneup to be sure he's the **real** Jacob deGrom?

Stay tuned.





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