WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Jacob deGrom's hair was flowing, his fastball was popping and he was in optimal form in his 2017 Grapefruit League debut.
After missing all of September because of surgery to reposition the ulnar nerve in his right elbow, deGrom returned to action Saturday in the New York Mets' 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros. He retired six straight Houston hitters and sailed through two innings on 26 pitches before calling it a day.
DeGrom thrived against Houston's "A'' lineup. He set down George Springer, Josh Reddick and Jose Altuve in the first inning before retiring Carlos Correa, Carlos Beltran and Yulieski Gurriel in the second.