Hammer falls on Mets
THOR HURT IN ROUT
WASHINGTON — Noah Syndergaard will get an MRI after all. The Mets righthander left his start Sunday in the second inning with what the team is calling a “possible lat strain,” four days after he had been scratched because of biceps tendinitis and he refused to go for the MRI as the team suggested. He was already on a train to New York when the Mets’ embarrassing 23-5 loss to the Nationals ended.
“We have an MRI scheduled for 7 a.m. The preliminary diagnosis was possible lat strain, which may or may not be related to his previous complaint which was in the biceps,” Mets GM Sandy Alderson said. “So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.”
It’s just the latest and potentially biggest blow to the Mets’ injury-plagued team, leaving them without their best hitter and pitcher in the last four days.
According to a source who spoke to Syndergaard Sunday, the righthander feels the lat injury is unrelated to his arm soreness last week. He does not think the MRI would have foreseen the last issue.
Yoenis Cespedes was put on the disabled list Friday with a strained left hamstring in a similar situation.
Syndergaard had been skipped Thursday with what the team said was “biceps tendinitis,” but had refused to have an MRI on the arm because he was feeling better.
“The recommendation was made by the doctor. It was precautionary. He felt strongly that he was fine,” Alderson said of Syndergaard’s decision to forgo the MRI. “We made sure that he threw again before he went out, so that we
could confirm that. So would the MRI have disclosed the lat issue? Or reaffirmed some concern about the biceps? “We’ll never know.” While Alderson calmly explained the procedures the Mets went through to make sure Syndergaard could make his start on Sunday, Terry Collins lost his cool when asked about his frustration.
“Ya think,” the visibly upset Mets manager snapped at a reporter who pointed out he looked upset. “What do you think?”
“Certainly it was something we didn’t need to see,” Collins said of Syndergaard grabbing his side after delivering a 90-mph changeup to Bryce Harper in the second inning Sunday.
The inning before, Syndergaard had been throwing 100 mph and after having not pitched in nine days felt too strong. Catcher Rene Rivera admitted he was overthrowing. He got shelled for five runs on five hits and two walks, the first he has issued this season.
“He looked fine, he looked good in the bullpen,” Rivera said. “It was just that pitch or the pitch before.”
With the Mets’ history of mishandling injuries, this will be dissected minute-byminute, no doubt. It looks worse in light of what happened with Cespedes, who had left a game on April 19 with a “shock” in the same hamstring. After sitting out three games to try to avoid a DL stint, Cespedes pulled up lame in the fourth inning of his second game back.
Now, Syndergaard is possibly looking at a DL stint.
The only member of the Mets’ young “five aces” who has not had Tommy John surgery, Syndergaard has always been touchy when it comes to possible injuries. He feels strongly that talking about them, even thinking about them, becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Alderson said that he spoke to Syndergaard before he left for New York, but did not feel it was time to ask him about refusing the MRI.
“I didn’t think that was necessary at that particular time,” Alderson said.”I think he understands there is something going on now that he needs to have examined.”
And the Mets have a real issue with the pitching depth they were counting on.
Steven Matz, who has a mysterious elbow issue, and Seth Lugo, who is trying to avoid Tommy John surgery with a throwing program and therapy, are just beginning to pitch off the slope of the mound. Alderson had said that he had backed off looking on the free agent market for pitching, because those two could be back by the end of May.
An industry source said there is very little starting pitching available via trade or free agency right now. The source said the Mets did see Doug Fister pitch last month, but reports are his fastball is sitting in the high 80s.
Rafael Montero is expected to be called up Monday. He is really the Mets’ only viable option at Triple-A, and he’s not been that viable at the major league level. The righthander, who was once ranked as a higher prospect than Syndergaard, has a 4.68 ERA and 1.559 WHIP in 12 career major-league starts.