The New York Mets have been long awaiting the return of ace Jacob deGrom, who has missed the entire 2022 MLB season while recovering from a shoulder injury. Having already set out on a rehab assignment, the Mets have now revealed deGrom's next step in his return to Queens. According to Anthony DiComo, deGrom is slated to start on Thursday at Triple-A Syracuse.

This will be the third minor-league rehab appearance for deGrom, who was absolutely electric in his previous outing at St. Lucie, during which he struck out five batters in 1.2 innings. It's safe to say he fared better than Chris Sale, who had something of an epic and embarrassing meltdown after getting rocked by the Yankees' minor league affiliates.

The expectation from the Mets is that deGrom will return at some point after the All-Star break. This could very well be his final rehab appearance before the break, and he could potentially return shortly after play resumes in late July.

There was some belief that deGrom would be making his start on Wednesday, but the Mets felt they should give him an additional day of rest before his next appearance, per Deesha Thosar. deGrom last pitched for the Mets in July of 2021, so it'll have been more than a full calendar year since his last start in the big leagues.

With deGrom slated to take the mound on Thursday, July 14, he could reasonably return to big-league action at some point during their series against the San Diego Padres, which runs from Friday, July 22 until Sunday, July 24. The Mets then host the Yankees for a two-game set.

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