ST. LOUIS _ With the Mets scrambling to keep their fading playoff hopes alive, they faced the possibility of building in extra rest for Jacob deGrom.
"To me, it looks like he's getting run down," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "But I don't know if we need to move him back, push him back, or what it might be. But we need to consider certainly somehow getting him some rest."
Immediately after getting thrashed Wednesday night's 8-1 loss to the Cardinals, deGrom insisted that his arm feels fresh. But his results say otherwise. In his last two starts, deGrom has been knocked around for 13 runs on 25 hits in 92/3 innings.
The downturn comes as the Mets' rotation depth is getting tested, with rookies Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman lined up for regular starts.
The Mets could build in extra rest for deGrom if Steven Matz misses only one start on the disabled list with left shoulder tightness. But Collins said he and general manager Sandy Alderson will discuss the matter soon.
However, with their season at a critical juncture, it's unclear if the Mets can realistically afford to give deGrom a hiatus.
