Spin Doctors

The Mets’ history with medical issues isn’t particularly favorable. Noah Syndergaard partially tearing a lat muscle days after refusing an MRI exam is just the latest example. Here’s a look at some other notable medical missteps:

2006: Pedro Martinez wrote in his autobiography that team COO Jeff Wilpon pressured him to pitch with a bad toe because he wanted the marquee attraction of a Martinez-Dontrelle Willis matchup. Wilpon has denied doing so.

2008: Billy Wagner tears his ulnar collateral ligament while throwing live batting practice between games of a doubleheader. 2009: Ryan Church is allowed to fly cross country after suffering a concussion.

2010: Carlos Beltran undergoes offseason knee surgery, and the Mets contend the outfielder didn’t have the organization’s consent.

2012: Johan Santana throws 137 pitches in completing the first no-hitter in Mets history and is placed on the disabled list the following month with shoulder discomfort.

2015: David Wright is placed on the disabled list in April with a strained hamstring (above), but ultimately is diagnosed with spinal stenosis.

2015: Rafael Montero misses most of the season with shoulder discomfort despite the fact the team’s doctors can find nothing wrong with him.

2016: Matt Harvey’s bladder infection becomes a public relations fiasco when the ace pitcher says he’s been told not to hold his urine for so long.

2017: Steven Matz is placed on the disabled list with elbow discomfort that he characterizes as a strained flexor tendon. The Mets disagree.