Syndergaard put on DL with torn lat

ATLANTA — Mets general manager Sandy Alderson may accelerate his search for pitching help after the team placed ace right-hander Noah Syndergaard on the 10-day disabled list Monday with a partial tear of his right lat muscle.

The Mets said there is no timetable for Syndergaard’s return, leaving Alderson to look for help outside the organization.

“I said over the last few days we had looked at that possibility,” Alderson said before Monday night’s game against the Braves. “I would say yes, this probably could accelerate that process.”

Mets left-hander Steven Matz missed two months with a similar lat injury in 2015. He is on the DL with left elbow irritation and could return by the end of May.

Syndergaard (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits in the first inning of a 23-5 loss to the Nationals on Sunday. He grimaced after throwing a second-inning strike to Bryce Harper and reached for his right armpit before leaving the field with a trainer and manager Terry Collins.

The injury came only a couple days after he said he felt fine and refused a MRI. He was a late scratch from a scheduled start last Thursday after complaining of biceps and shoulder discomfort in his pitching arm.

After the injury Sunday, there was no room for debate about the MRI. The test at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery early Monday revealed the partial tear.

“The doctor said there isn’t any connection between what happened and a possible biceps injury,” Alderson said.

The Mets must find someone to fill Syndergaard’s spot in the rotation by Friday. Collins said left-hander Sean Gilmartin and right-hander Rafael Montero are the top candidates to join the rotation.