Bad swing to blame for Matz’ early shower

ATLANTA — It’s just unbelievable. Steven Matz left Tuesday night’s game with discomfort in the middle finger of his left hand. The Long Island lefty pitched three scoreless innings and as he was warming up for the fourth, he said the pain made it too difficult to continue.

Matz bent the finger back on a swingand-miss in his at-bat in the top the fourth. The bat flung out of his hand and back to the on-deck circle.

“I didn’t feel anything at first, I just went and got my bat, obviously it didn’t affect me,” Matz said. “Then standing on second base it started to throb out there. I threw a couple pitches and felt it. (Catcher) Devin (Mesoraco) knd of noticed and called them out there.”

The Mets were forced to go to their bullpen in the fourth. The bullpen blew a four-run lead and the Mets lost, 7-6, on a home run by Johan Camargo.

The Mets were already playing a man down having not brought anyone in to replace Noah Syndergaard, who had been placed on the disabled list Tuesday morning. “Yeah, I mean obviously that would have been nice,” Mickey Callaway said of having a full squad Tuesday. “The timing of it and (the Triple-A team being in) Vegas and we couldn’t get a guy here.”

Matz was cruising when he had to leave. He had allowed one hit in three innings. He walked two and struck out two.

Syndergaard was placed on the disabled list with a strained ligament in his right index finger

SWARZAK ON HIS WAY

Anthony Swarzak pitched a scoreless inning for Triple-A Las Vegas Tuesday afternoon in his first rehab appearance since going on the disabled list April 2 with a strained left oblique muscle. Callaway said he could return as soon as early next week.

CESPEDES UP AND RUNNING

Yoenis Cespedes had his “best,” rehab day of running yet, Callaway said. The outfielder who is on the disabled list with a right quad/hip flexor injury had struggled with heel pain when he began his rehab program, Mets assistant GM John Ricco said . . . . Todd Frazier is “very close,” to playing his first rehab game, Callaway said.