2:25pm: Syndergaard has a “possible lat strain,” according to the Mets. After opting against an MRI previously, he’ll head back to New York to undergo one (Twitter link via Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record).
1:25pm: In what could be a disastrous turn of events for the Mets, ace Noah Syndergaard left his start against the Nationals on Sunday after 1 1/3 innings with an apparent injury. The right-hander grabbed his biceps as he walked off the mound with a trainer, David Lennon of Newsday was among those to report (via Twitter).
Syndergaard was supposed to start for the Mets this past Thursday, but they had to scratch him on account of biceps discomfort, which makes Sunday’s development all the more troubling. The 24-year-old denied a request to undergo an MRI, telling reporters (via ESPN.com): “I think I know my body best. I’m pretty in tune with my body, and that’s exactly why I refused to take the MRI.”
General manager Sandy Alderson noted that Syndergaard’s decision was unusual and added, “I can’t strap him down and throw him in the tube.”
A serious injury to Syndergaard would be the most significant blow yet to a starting staff that hasn’t been the picture of health this season. Both Steven Matz and Seth Lugo have been out all year with injuries, and neither will return imminently. Meanwhile, Matt Harvey hasn’t been sharp in his comeback from the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent in 2016, and Zack Wheeler has run up a 4.78 ERA (albeit with a 3.83 FIP) in his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2015. Health hasn’t been a problem lately for Robert Gsellman, on the other hand, though run prevention has (6.23 ERA, 3.69 FIP).
The flame-throwing Syndergaard was ineffective in his brief start Sunday, yielding four earned runs on five hits and two walks, but his numbers for 2017 remain excellent. Arguably the best righty in the majors, Syndergaard has logged a 2.96 ERA, 10.54 K/9, .66 BB/9 and a 57.7 percent ground-ball rate through 27 1/3 frames. He and Jacob deGrom have continued to serve as front-line starters this year for a club that entered the season with World Series hopes but has won only 10 of its first 23 games.
First of all how do you refuse am mri when your training staff tells you to get one. And second how does the training staff accept that answer from their pitcher
I thought he knew his body. Crazy a organization allows player to refuse MRI with money invested in him. Cub fan but hate seeing the talent Mets have as they swept us in 2015 nlcs all going down and who knows if they will get it together
Totally agree. For the type of money ballplayers make, refusing an MRI can’t be an option.
It’s a medical intervention, so Syn has final say if he does it or not. The team can choose to not play him, but they can’t “force” him to do anything when it comes to medical interventions/procedures/etc.
He’s still an idiot for choosing not getting an MRI.
Money invested? He’s making $605K. That couldn’t even get you a studio in Queens in this climate. Sure, he will get paid and NYM will be tied to a more sizable contract in the near-future, but there’s no major current financial investment for NYM right now. If there was then a sizable insurance policy would be a sound recourse.
The Mets invested millions into scouting and development, and traded away a cy young winner for him. There’s more invested than just his contractual salary. He’s a huge investment for this team.
Exactly
Come on. Old man Dickey was on the downslide and they were rebuilding. The scouting and development costs should be allocated to the 200+ players in the system. No way the costs for Syndergard approaches millions.
Also, according to Fan Graphs he has generated a surplus value of 86 million.
Too bad the Mets keep breaking their young pitchers through misuse. MRI’s dont seem to help them much.
1. He is cocky
2. The training staff cannot force him to get one.
Hopefully this humbles him, he sometimes acts like a teenager who thinks he’s invincible
Or maybe he watched Harvey get destroyed in the press a few years ago for mentioning inning limit as the Mets entered the post season.
Watched it live, gut-wrenching, what is he doing in the mound?!! Terry is red in the face he is pissed
On* the mound
he knew something was wrong, nobody refuses a MRI. Kinda childish honestly
Worst organization in baseball! Who let’s their ace with a biceps injury continue to pitch!!!
Put your money where your mouth is. It’s time to change your identity. Here’s an appropriate one, “lookingforanewteam” or “seekinglegitimateteam”.
More Mets’ centric would be “cantatandwatchingthismickeymouseteam”.
You need to change your name or your attitude. Reading some of your comments makes me embarrassed that you’re a Yankees fan.
Seriously! With a name like Mike and his stupid comments, i bet he is from SI or Jersey. Has an orange tan, and loves rap music.
mikeyank55 no longer a yankees fan after they kicked him out. you heard it here first.
I am sure if he came through the game unscathed, everyone would be saying good for him, the teams always push for unnecessary tests. Monday morning quarterbacking makes everyone feel smart.
Monday Morning Quarterbacking? People were saying they were insane long before he threw his first pitch yesterday.
What a foolish kid and team. Somehow you would have expected the Mets to be the adult in the room and not let him pitch until he has an MRI. I guess everyone can agree he gets one now.
When Noah Matz deGrom played in Vegas they were never hurt or on the d l. They play in New York all have been on the d l or experiencing arm trouble why??
Because they’ve thrown thousands more pitches – and the cumulative effect has mounted.
Scorsese answered that question already. Watch Casino to see what Vegas does to you and Goodfellas to see what NYC does to you.
MLB should fine both the organization and Syndergaard for this. You make a lot of money for this sport, so if a team tells you to take an MRI, you do the damn MRI. They’re both accountable for what just happened
Suggesting that the MLB should fine the organization and Syndergaard is almost as dumb as Syndergaard refusing a MRI.
Why is that? He’s one of the many stars of MLB, and he made both himself and the organization look stupid. If your employer tells you to do something and you refuse, you can guarantee you’re getting some sort of punishment…I highly doubt this will ever happen again, but if I’m Manfred, I’ll make sure this never happens again.
because the mets can’t force him to get an mri
I’m sorry, but if I’m paying you nearly millions of dollars per year and you complain of bicep issues a couple days ago and I ask for an MRI, you’re going to get an MRI done. If I were the Mets, I would’ve refused to let him pitch until he got it done. They didn’t and look at what happened…
And then the players association would be up your ass for forcing a player to take tests.
The players union never would allow this, nor should they. A team should not be able to force a player to have a medical procedure, even if it’s just an MRI. Syndergaard is an idiot, and the Mets should be irate about this, but there is no need to change this policy as 99.9% of players are smart enough to just take the test.
One day to late
This is the sound of me playing “Taps” on my bugle…
Looked bad or precautionary?
didn’t look like he grabbed his bicep, but his lat or ribs.
That’s right; the Mets’ announcers said it was back towards the lat, back of the underarm of the pitching arm. I saw it too; he didn’t grab the biceps.
He looked bad on the pitch before the last one, as if it hurt or grabbed then, but he had to try another to see what would happen. Well, it happened…..
I knew that will happen the moment i read he refused MRI.
Every Mets fan knew it…
From my perspective, I would only refuse an MRI if I was afraid of the results (I don’t think that’s the case, but why else would you). One can only “know their body” so well, especially when they’re young. It’s just such an odd way to handle a potential injury. I suppose there’s some of the arrogance of youth involved, but you kind of want some cockiness in your ace. But he’s young, and at least it’s not a joint like shoulder or elbow. I’m sure he’ll learn from it.
Can’t help but wonder if all of this doesn’t have to do something with him adding muscle in the offseason. Maybe lost flexibility in the wrong areas
Very good point!
It’s early yet we have had a lot of bad luck just have to wait it out it’s going to get better just hang in there players will return all we have to do is make the playoffs
The Mets have the best rotation in baseball…that isn’t healthy enough to lay claim to that moniker.. Either the starters are made of glass, the coaching/trainers don’t know how to handle their fragility or both.
The Mets’ bullpen did a great job today. Beautiful team communication throws curves everywhere…all for one–NOT. Every man for themselves…screw your teammates.
Remember how this Mets rotation was supposed to be so good? Yeah, me neither.
In 2015. Lol. Then “TC” allowed them to blow out their arms.
And the Mets World Series hopes are gone… and so are the Pirates… and the Marlins… and the Giants… and the Blue Jays…
It’s too bad for Mets fans. They bought the dream again, hook line and sinker.
You really need to work in your troll game. You make it way too obvious.
enjoy your 200 million dollar rebuild, you walking joke.
This team is a roller coaster, or Deja voo again!
Mets are done
Well you can’t blame Dusty Baker for this mess!