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Mets may give deGrom a rest

The Sports Xchange

September 16, 2015 at 4:41 am.

The Mets may rest Jacob deGrom.  (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

The Mets may rest Jacob deGrom. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

By Jerry Beach, The Sports Xchange

NEW YORK — Two weeks off at the end of the summer last season did wonders for New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom. Might it be time to consider another late-season vacation for the Mets’ ace pitcher?

On Tuesday, deGrom’s struggles continued, when he took the loss after getting tagged for six runs on 10 hits and no walks while striking out five over five innings as the Mets fell to the Miami Marlins, 9-3, at Citi Field.

In his last five starts, deGrom is 1-2 with a 6.41 ERA. His overall ERA has risen from 1.98 to 2.64, which is the highest it has been in almost four months.

Unlike last year, when deGrom was sidelined from Aug. 8-23 with right rotator cuff tendinitis, neither deGrom nor manager Terry Collins believe health is the reason for his struggles.

But the Mets are hurtling toward the National League East title — New York has a magic number of 10 and leads the Washington Nationals by 8 1/2 games — and will almost certainly look to deGrom to start Game One of a Division Series, so they need to figure out a way to fix whatever is ailing him.

“He went through a shoulder issue last year, we shut him down for two weeks and he came out, after his two weeks, like gangbusters,” Collins said of deGrom, who clinched the NL Rookie of the Year award last season by going 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his final six starts.

“Is a 10-day span helpful? Maybe so. We’ve got to certainly consider it.”

The Mets have the luxuries required — a big lead and a deep pitching staff — to skip deGrom if necessary. Collins said Monday that right-hander Logan Verrett, who allowed two runs over five innings in a spot start in place of right-hander Matt Harvey, would be the Mets’ seventh starter if a member of the rotation needed to be skipped again.

DeGrom said he’d like to take his next turn in the rotation but added he’d abide by whatever the Mets decided.

“I’d like to keep pitching but that’s out of my control,” deGrom said. “I just want to help us win ballgames. I like to go out there every fifth, sixth day, or whatever it is, and give us a chance to win.”

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