Syndergaard comes clean on bone spur

WASHINGTON — Noah Syndergaard finally was ready to utter the words “bone spur” Wednesday.

After previously denying the existence of the spur in his right elbow, the Mets ace said he is expecting business as usual when he starts against the Cubs at Citi Field on Sunday.

Syndergaard didn’t directly answer a question about why he denied he was dealing with the issue when asked by reporters following his last start.

“As far as my bone spur goes, it’s pretty insignificant, and I can pitch with no pain, and I will be able to go in five days,” Syndergaard said before the Mets faced the Nationals.

On Tuesday, general manager Sandy Alderson said the pitcher denied the bone spur’s existence because he didn’t want to make an excuse for his struggles.

The righty remains on anti-inflammatories and said he will deal with any discomfort. Steven Matz, who is scheduled to pitch Thursday, has a larger bone spur, and there is concern within the organization he may need surgery to remove it during the season.

“Right now, it’s the middle of the season, normal wear and tear for all of us,” Syndergaard said. “We’re getting toward the All-Star break, and we’ll really need that break and be good to go after that.”

Curtis Granderson was a late scratch from the lineup because of discomfort in his right calf, though he did single as a pinch-hitter Wednesday. The veteran outfielder was removed from Tuesday’s game because he had trouble getting loose following a rain delay. Granderson said he had tightness in the calf last weekend in Atlanta and was on the bench Sunday to rest it.

Yoenis Cespedes remains among the NL’s vote leaders among outfielders for the All-Star Game. Voting concludes at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. At last count, Cespedes had 2,249,489 votes, enough to place him in the starting lineup.

The Mets signed their secondround pick in this year’s draft, infielder Peter Alonso from the University of Florida. Alonso will report to Single-A Brooklyn.