Mets shut Jacob deGrom down for two more weeks with forearm tightness

The Mets have shut down right-hander Jacob deGrom for at least two more weeks as he continues to struggle with forearm tightness:

deGrom, 33, hasn’t pitched since July 7, and this news further decreases the odds that he’ll be able to return to the mound before the end of the season. That’s a shame for Mets fans and fans of good baseball overall, as he was on pace to have a historically dominant season. In 15 starts, he had a 1.08 ERA with a 0.55 WHIP, a .129 opponent batting average, 146 strikeouts, and just 11 walks in 92 innings.

The Mets, who had a healthy lead in the NL East for most of the season, have floundered in deGrom’s absence and are 14-18 since the ace’s last start. They’re now a half game back for the division lead and sit only a half game ahead of the Braves for second place. With deGrom out, Noah Syndergaard’s status in doubt due to his struggles to return from Tommy John surgery, and many of the organization’s rotation depth options also dealing with injuries, the Mets are in a precarious position. They’ll almost certainly need improvement from veterans Carlos Carrasco and Rich Hill, and they’ll need rookie Tylor Megill to keep up his surprisingly stellar rookie campaign.