New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom recently took another step in his return from the right shoulder injury that has kept him out for the beginning of the season.Jacob deGrom Injury UpdateThe two-time Cy Young winner is now throwing on flat ground from 60 feet and is scheduled for his third round of imaging next week to evaluate the stress reaction in his right scapula.He was moved to the 60-day IL on Tuesday to make room for left-handed reliever Locke St. John and is eligible to return as early as June 6.The Pro Baseball Docs – featuring former Texas Rangers head team physician Dr. John Conway – maintain that a mid-June return would be the best case scenario for the 33-year-old.Two weeks ago, an MRI revealed “significant healing” in the scapula. The hope is this MRI will show complete healing and he can begin to build his arm back up to game shape. deGrom has not pitched in a regular season game since July 7 last year. He still has injury questions lingering from his past shut down and it is still no guarantee he can remain healthy when he returns.Before the season began, the Pro Baseball Docs detailed why deGrom may have longevity issues because of his previous elbow injury. It remains unclear if that issue is fully resolved, but the team insists his UCL is fully intact.Either way, that UCL injury has led to other injuries as deGrom has adjusted to avoid the discomfort.Injury Impact on MetsDespite deGrom's absence, the Mets have jumped out to a 21-10 start behind the fifth-best ERA in the league at 3.14. New York has three starters with an ERA under 3 and rank second in the league in strikeouts.With a 7-game lead in the NL West, the Mets can afford to be cautious with deGrom. Mets World Series OddsThe Mets are +500 to win the World Series and -210 to win the NL East, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Their last World Series appearance came in 2015.