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With the Major League Baseball season finally starting next week you have to wonder if the New York Mets just saw their playoff chances go out the window before the first pitch was even thrown.

The Mets had a big off season adding free agents. They signed the top starter o the free agent market in Max Scherzer as well as outfielders Starling Marte and Mark Canha, plus infielder Eduardo Escobar who will be the Mets everyday 3rd baseman and then they traded for starting pitcher Chris Bassitt.

Just as it was looking like the Mets would be contenders in the National League East the worse possible news for them hit.

As Jacob deGroom was warming up to make a spring training start he felt something in his throwing shoulder. An MRI on his shoulder revealed a stress reaction in his right scapula.

Yesterday the Mets announced that deGroom won’t throw for four weeks and will then have the shoulder reevaluated.

Now, in 2014 Michael Wacha who was with the St. Louis Cardinals at the time had this same injury and he ended missing almost three months. If deGroom is out for the first three months of the season, can the Mets stay in contention until he returns? And how long will it take deGroom to give the team meaningful innings?

The scapula, or shoulder blade as it turns out is a vital bone in the pitching process. Stress reactions, which are injuries to bones typically brought on by repeated movement, are rare in pitchers’ shoulders. Typically, stress reactions are healed through rest.

Fortunately for the Mets and deGroom the shoulder looked clean on his MRI but, the bone prompted enough concern to shut down deGrom for the start of what could be his final season with the Mets. He has said he plans to opt out of his contract following this season, during which he’ll be paid $33.5 million, but added that he “love[s] being a Met” and that “it would be really cool to be one for my entire career.”

Now just to add to the Mets issues Scherzer just had to skip his start in a simulated game because of hamstring tightness.

Scherzer told reporters that the hamstring tightness started a few days ago and it flared up as he was preparing to throw that simulated game Saturday.

Obviously with deGroom already out to start the season Scherzer was the logical choice to start opening day for the Mets against the Washington Nationals on Thursday, but it’s unclear now if Scherzer will be able to make that start. If Scherzer is unable to make the opening day start you’d think the Mets would give that start to Bassitt.

Since it’s just hamstring tightness keeping Scherzer out he shouldn’t end up on the Injury List were deGroom will start the season. Hopefully Scherzer won’t miss more than that first start and may even be able to pitch later in the series against his former team.

So let me know if you think the Mets can stay in contention in the National League East as their top two starting pitcher recover from injuries?

The Mets are in a tough division with the defending World Series champion Atlanta Braves. The Philadelphia Phillies also added some big bats to their line up and could possibly contend and there are some experts who think that the Miami Marlins could find themselves in contention for a playoff spot this season. If the Mets get into too big of a hole at the start of the season, will they be able to chase down what could possibly be three teams in front of them?

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