Nimmo and Noah team for rehab

Noah Syndergaard’s aura beat his arm back to the mound.

Before one rehabbing Met faced another in a live batting practice Wednesday afternoon at Citi Field, they locked eyes in the clubhouse.

“He saw me,” Brandon Nimmo said of Syndergaard. “He said, ‘You’re the enemy today.’ ”

Syndergaard threw about 15-20 pitches to Nimmo, manager Luis Rojas said, as the righty tries to make his way back to the mound this season, and the outfielder attempts a quick return from a strained right hamstring.

If Syndergaard completes his comeback from March 2020 Tommy John surgery and plenty of setbacks since — including a positive test for COVID-19 late last month that halted his rehab assignment — he would be pitching as a reliever and would not be using his breaking pitches, which doctors have advised against throwing.

His velocity off the mound against Nimmo was a bit below the mid-90s, Rojas said, though he cautioned Syndergaard was not throwing 100 percent.

“It’s a good step for Noah,” said Rojas, who was not sure about the next step.

It’s possible Syndergaard will throw another live batting practice, but the Mets want to wait to see how he feels Thursday.

“He looked good,” Nimmo said. “It’s a long break, so he’s trying to get a feel for all his stuff again.”

Nimmo is closer to a return and could rejoin the Mets as soon as Friday for the series opener against the Phillies. There was doubt whether Nimmo would play again this season after he sustained the injury Sept. 4, but he has healed quickly. He ran the bases and took fly balls Wednesday, in addition to batting.

The club’s training staff, Nimmo said, has been cautious with him, but his hamstring feels good. He is not going all-out, but he hasn’t felt it pull at him.

“I’ve been able to pass all the tests, so I think it has surpassed all expectations,” Nimmo said.

The Mets have lost eight of the 12 games they have played without Nimmo after the Cardinals beat

them 11-4 Wednesday. Nimmo said missing Tuesday’s heartbreaking 7-6, 11-inning loss to St. Louis was “killing” him.

The Mets’ dwindling chance of a playoff push “is a big pull,” Nimmo said. “We’re running out of time.”