Syndergaard to toss first bullpen session Tuesday
Noah Syndergaard and Jeurys Familia are about to take a major step forward in their respective efforts to pitch again before the end of the season.
For the first time since suffering a lat injury in April, Syndergaard will throw off a pitcher’s mound. He’s scheduled to throw his first bullpen session on Tuesday, manager Terry Collins announced.
In Florida, Familia will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with the Mets’ affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. Familia has been sidelined since May after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his right arm.
Familia is closer to a return, especially since he won’t need as much time to ramp up for one-inning bursts out of the bullpen.
As a starter, Syndergaard will need more time once he begins his rehab assignment, though the Mets believe he still has time to return before season’s end.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen mentioned the option of perhaps using Syndergaard out of the bullpen to hasten his return, but sources said the idea hasn’t gained any traction.
In another encouraging sign for a Mets pitcher, Matt Harvey will continue his rehab assignment sometime this week. He’s scheduled to throw 40 to 50 pitches in his next game. Out since mid-june with a stress injury in his shoulder, the right-hander began his rehab on Saturday with an 18-pitch effort in one inning with Class-a Brooklyn.
“We’ve got to figure out where we’re going to send him,” Collins said. “We haven’t decided on where his next rehab is. Hopefully, we can get the pitch count up where we’ll have a little bit better of an idea of where he is.”
■ Yankees: CC Sabathia hopes to come off the disabled list as soon as he is eligible Saturday.
The Yankees left-hander threw a bullpen session before Monday’s Subway Series opener against the New York Mets and said his right knee felt much better.
Sabathia, 37, left a start at Toronto in pain last Tuesday with knee inflammation. The following day he had cortisone, platelet rich plasma and Synvisc injections.
Sabathia is 9-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 19 starts. He pitches with a brace because of the knee, which was repaired with surgery in July 2014 and again last October.
■ Indians: Cleveland All-star reliever Andrew Miller will embark on a rehab outing at Triple-a Columbus on Wednesday and could return to the team two days later, manager Terry Francona announced.
Miller, who has been sidelined since Aug. 3 with patellar tendinitis in his right knee, progressed through bullpen sessions on Friday and Sunday.
“The way he threw the ball the last couple of days was so nice to see,” Francona said. “You could tell he felt better with his delivery. It was a good thing. It was hard to do it, but I’m glad we did it.”
Miller owns a 4-3 record with a 1.67 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 54 innings this season.
The 32-year-old left-hander has issued 10 free passes in his last 19 games (22⅔ innings), a total that eclipses the nine walks he had during the 2016 season (74⅓ innings).
■ Nationals: Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg struck out five and allowed three hits and one walk in a rehab start for the Class A Potomac Nationals.
Facing the Salem Red Sox, Strasburg showcased good command of his fastball and good movement on his curveball as he allowed one earned run.
The plan was for Strasburg to throw about 75 pitches in five innings.
Strasburg has been on the DL with a nerve impingement in his right elbow since July 27. He left two innings into his last start on July 23 at Arizona and has been working to get back since.
The 29-year-old is 10-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 20 games this season.
■ Diamondbacks: Arizona put outfielder David Peralta on the paternity leave list after the birth of his first child.
Arizona also recalled right-hander J.J. Hoover from Triple-a Reno.
Peralta turned 30 on Monday and became a father when his wife, Jordan, gave birth to a girl named Sofia.
Peralta is hitting .303 with 12 homers and 41 RBIS in 103 games this season.
Hoover, who turned 30 on Sunday, is 1-1 with a 4.82 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 36 appearances with the Diamondbacks this season. He had a 1.13 ERA with eight strikeouts in six games with Reno.