Cubs vs. Mets Wednesday MLB injury report, probable pitchers, odds: Mismatch of season with journeyman Robert Stock vs. NL Cy Young, MVP favorite Jacob deGrom

Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom is off to the best start to a season of any pitcher in Major League Baseball history. He has been the Cy Young betting favorite for months at William Hill Sportsbook – currently -250 – but recently has become the +200 MVP favorite as well. Despite an injury scare in his most recent outing, deGrom will take the mound Wednesday night at Citi Field against the Chicago Cubs. The Mets are massive -320 favorites as they face Cubs journeyman Robert "don't call me Stack" Stock. 

The Mets have been destroyed by injuries this season but deGrom (6-2) going down probably would have killed their NL East hopes even as mediocre as the rest of the division is. Last Friday at home vs. the Padres, deGrom took a perfect game into the fifth inning but departed after six innings because of right flexor tendinitis. However, he made it through a bullpen session fine Monday and will start Wednesday.

In allowing no runs and one hit over six innings vs. the Padres, deGrom lowered his season ERA to an absurd 0.56 and his WHIP to 0.53 – both easily best in the majors. He has allowed just four earned runs with 103 strikeouts and eight walks in 64 innings. DeGrom reached 100 strikeouts in just 61.2 innings. That is the quickest a starting pitcher has reached 100 strikeouts since the mound moved to its current distance in 1893.

Oh, and deGrom also had a hit and two more RBIs vs. San Diego and is batting .400 on the season (10-for-25) with more RBIs (five) than earned runs allowed. A bettor with William Hill in New Jersey placed $1,000 on deGrom to win NL MVP at +600 prior to his last start.

"He goes out every game and just shuts the other team down," Adam Pullen, second director of trading for William Hill U.S., said to ESPN. "It's hard for people to get past that he's not an everyday player, but he's just so dominant. For a pitcher to win the MVP, you have to have dominant stats, and his stats are beyond amazing."

Even though deGrom is untouchable, he has been worth just $57 to bettors who would have wagered $100 on all of his starts this year. That's because he's always such a big moneyline favorite and the Mets have lost three of his 10 when deGrom was -270 twice and -190 once.

This will be deGrom's first look at the Cubs since August 2019. In nine career starts against them, he is 2-3 with a 3.30 ERA and 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA at home. Kris Bryant, who is +2000 to win MVP, has had success off deGrom in going 6-for-17 with two homers but probably sits this one out after being hit by a pitch Tuesday (X-rays were negative). Anthony Rizzo is 10-for-23 with a homer off deGrom.

Chicago is a bit thin in the rotation with Adbert Alzolay and Trevor Williams both on the injured list. The Cubs will call up Stock from Triple-A to make his first big-league start. The 31-year-old was a 2009 second-round pick by the Cardinals and has spent most of his career bouncing around the minors. The Cubs claimed Stock off waivers from the Red Sox last December.

Stock had a 0-3 record 4.12 ERA in 19.2 innings for Triple-A Iowa this year. He has pitched a total of 63.2 innings in the majors all in relief with the Padres (2018-19) and Red Sox (2020) and is 2-2 with a 4.24 ERA. 

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