Noah Syndergaard

Mets: Syndergaard shockingly defends Bauer and criticizes MLB’s ‘stupid’ unwritten rules

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New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard

New York Mets’ starter Noah Syndergaard is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and is an option to rejoin the tea before the All-Star break. He would be a welcomed addition to a rotation that is already missing Carlos Carrasco and Jacob deGrom.

While he is not with the major league team, Syndergaard has been active in social media, being the center of a spat with fellow pitcher Trevor Bauer a few weeks ago on Twitter. He has also given interviews to a few media sectors, and spoke with GQ about the Bauer-Tatis issue that occurred recently, when the latter made fun of the former after hitting two home runs off the flamboyant pitcher.

This time, the Mets’ pitcher sided with Bauer to criticize the old school thinking that the latter should have been taking matters into his own hands and hit Tatis with a pitch after his “spicy” home run celebrations, clearly targeted at Bauer.

Basically, Syndergaard, who will be a free agent after the season if the Mets fail to sign him to a long-term contract, approved trash talking and condemned the “unwritten rules” that punish players for celebrating too effusively.

The Mets’ Syndergaard approves trash talking

Per NJ Advance Media, Syndergaard clarified that despite the heated Twitter exchange with Bauer, he doesn’t have a ‘beef’ with him (”I wouldn’t put too much effort into that”). Instead, Thor thinks the Bauer-Tatis exchange is what baseball needs.

“I think baseball has gotten soft, too. I think there should be some more s**t-talking. …. I think that’s awesome. I agree with Bauer, that does not warrant somebody to get thrown at.”

“I think they’re pretty stupid, to be honest. Anything unwritten sounds pretty stupid. I think it’s very old school, and I think there needs to be a new school approach.”

The Mets know they have quite the intense on-the-mound competitor in Syndergaard, and they hope to have him back soon.

New York Mets Injury Report (April 26, 2021)

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The New York Mets have had relatively good luck with injuries to start the season and even saw a bullpen arm leave the injured list over the weekend. Drew Smith left the 10-day IL and went to the Mets alternate site. The right-handed reliever was dealing with shoulder soreness after having an excellent spring training. Smith only allowed one hit in three innings with the same number of strikeouts and figures to rejoin the bullpen when fully healthy.

Carlos Carrasco is progressing nicely from the hamstring tear he suffered in spring training. On Saturday, Carrasco pitched four innings without any issues for the second consecutive outing. Since Carrasco does not have any lingering problems, the focus has shifted toward getting himself ready to make a full start when he rejoins the roster. Manager Luis Rojas said Carrasco is expected to make his Mets debut during the second week of May.

Seth Lugo is being treated very carefully as he works his way back from elbow surgery. He has begun to throw bullpen sessions and expects to throw live bp within the next couple of weeks. The original timeline had Lugo set to return in June, but he can return towards the end of May at his current pace. Since Lugo’s focus is relief pitching, there is no need to ramp him up to throw more than two innings.

Thor Inching Back

On Saturday, Noah Syndergaard pitched in an intersquad game for the first time. Syndergaard’s fastball is not at 100 mph yet, but a stellar 97 is still plenty for Thor. Rojas and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner were pleased with what they saw in the one-inning outing. Syndergaard threw all of his pitches to the five batters he faced. For the next six weeks, Syndergaard will go through a regular spring training atmosphere to get himself ready to pitch every fifth day. If Syndergaard progresses as expected, he will return to the mound in mid-June.

Dellin Betances has proven to be the pitching version of Jed Lowrie as he landed on the 60-day IL with a right shoulder impingement. He made one appearance this season before heading to the IL. Betances struggled to find his velocity or the strike zone during the spring, making him impossible to use in any critical situation. Whether he is actually injured or not, the Mets are buying themselves time to determine if Betances actually has anything left in the tank.

New York Mets: Noah Syndergaard Continues Progressing In His Rehab

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Noah Syndergaard is continuing to progress nicely as he works himself back from Tommy John Surgery. Sunday was an important evaluation day for Thor and the New York Mets as he hit a key checkpoint in his recovery.

Syndergaard fiddled breaking stuff for the first time since surgery. He only threw three sliders as the Mets are taking baby steps towards bringing him back to the rotation.

Syndergaard was exactly 11 months removed from the operation and is still on a promising road to a complete recovery. The Mets also added 2020 draft pick, J.T. Ginn, to their spring training roster. Ginn also underwent TJS and threw with Syndergaard last summer.

“Sometimes when you feel good, you want to do too much, and when you don’t feel good, you want to do less,” Pitching Coach and two-time TJ recipient Jeremy Hefner said. “But trying to be as consistent and constant as possible will get a better outcome at the end of this thing.”

Syndergaard will retake the mound on Wednesday for another bullpen session. He will stick to a combination of his fastball, sinker, and change-up, continuing with a “one step at a time” mindset. There is no timetable for Syndergaard to face live batters at the moment, and there are no expectations for him to pitch in a spring training game.

New York Mets: Weighing the Possibility of a Six-Man Rotation

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yankees, New York Mets, Luis Rojas

Depth was the top priority during the New York Mets offseason, and it shows the most with their rotation options. With the new depth, they consider using six starting pitchers with Taijuan Walker joining the rotation.

We know the top three starters are Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, and Marcus Stroman, with Walker as the fourth. David Peterson has the upper hand on Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto going into camp, but all three are fighting for the last rotation spot.

The Mets might look to conserve Peterson’s innings because he only has two seasons over 100 in the minors with a career-high of 128. Around baseball, teams are considering the extra starter because of the shortened 2020 season. Pitchers will get extra rest without making shorter starts, and it lessens the innings jump from last season.

All five Mets starters were healthy in 2020 and are amongst the fittest in the sport. Despite the great physiques, the Mets expect to play deep into October. A long playoff run requires pitchers to log 20-40 high-leverage innings. Pitchers like Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, and Max Scherzer saw these innings’ taxing effect the following year. If Lucchesi or Yamamoto pitches well in spring training, the Mets should not be afraid to tack on another starter.

Syndergaard’s Return 

If the Mets have a six-man rotation to being the season, Syndergaard would slide right in and conserve innings for the rest of the rotation. With a five-man rotation, he would tack on and potentially save the Mets from holding Peterson back in September. The one drawback is the one less arm in the bullpen, but a strong rotation solves any bullpen issues.

In October, the Mets would love a rotation of deGrom, Carrasco, Stroman, and Syndergaard. Allowing Syndergaard to save his innings early in the season will allow him to avoid injury and stay fresh for a playoff run.

Despite missing out on an expensive free agent, the Mets finally have starting pitching depth with respectable MLB track records. This accolade alone deserves an A grade for the offseason.

 

New York Mets: Passing On Springer Helps Team Bolster Their Future

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New York Yankees, Marcus Stroman

The New York Mets missed out on their top center field target in George Springer but are still in a great spot. They avoided a risky long-term deal and gave themselves flexibility with the future of their young stars for 2022 and beyond.

A feeling of disappointment was the initial reaction to missing out on Springer, but the deal’s specifics soothed the pain. Combining Springer’s and Robinson Cano‘s AAV for the 2022 season and beyond would have made it extremely tough to lock up Michael Conforto and Francisco Lindor to long-term deals. It also makes re-signing Marcus Stroman and Noah Syndergaard a harder task.

Full-Time Center Fielder?

There is a good chance that Springer becomes a full-time corner outfielder before he is halfway through the contract. Springer has never played more than 80 games in center field and is slightly above average defensively. He would have been an immediate upgrade to center field defense, but Springer will likely fall off with the glove as the contract goes on. Putting Jackie Bradley Jr. in center field puts a bow on top of a brand new Mets defense.

Sustained success was one of Steve Cohen and Sandy Alderson’s biggest points of emphasis. Ensuring Lindor and Conforto remain in Queens for the rest of their career is the starting point of consistent winning seasons. Retaining pitchers like Stroman and Syndergaard are next, along with retaining their other young stars.

New York Mets: How To Handle Noah Syndergaard’s Return

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The 2021 New York Mets hope a healthy Noah Syndergaard returns to his pre-Tommy John Surgery form. In his prime, Thor was one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball, and the Mets need his production when he returns. As the Mets hope to revamp their rotation, they have to figure out where Syndergaard fits when he returns.

Syndergaard’s realistic return is after the All-Star break, but any point in June is still a possibility. Even a June return allows Syndergaard to pitch a full season without worrying about surpassing an innings limit. This plan works if the Mets have four starters, with a fifth who can move to the bullpen once Syndergaard returns.

A six-man rotation or moving Syndergaard to the bullpen is also a possibility. The workload would not be a worry, and he can work as another “Seth Lugo” type in the bullpen. Syndergaard could still make a handful of starts, but if the rotation is pitching well, they can keep him in the bullpen. The last few World Series winners have a starting pitcher who dominates out of the bullpen, and Syndergaard fits that mold.

Getting Syndergaard healthy and back to his 2016 production would give the Mets a tremendous rotation. Ideally, Syndergaard wants to pitch in the rotation but showing the ability to help in the rotation and bullpen would boost his stock. In any situation, adding Syndergaard to the pitching staff is a welcomed sight.

New York Mets avoid arbitration with injured pitching star

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New York Mets, Noah Syndergaard

The New York Mets are putting together a very competitive team for the 2021 season, which will be the first under new owner Steve Cohen. He and team president Sandy Alderson are working not only to bring new talent to the roster, but also to keep the existing players happy and engaged.

In their latest move with next season in mind, the New York Mets avoided the arbitration process with star pitcher Noah Syndergaard, as both parties agreed to a one-year, $9.7 million contract, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.

The $9.7 million salary is what he made through arbitration last winter, according to Rotoworld. The Mets’ starter, however, is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, a procedure that he underwent back in March.

By normal Tommy John estimates, Thor would be able to return around July or August. However, recent reports suggested that he was actually ahead of schedule, which Alderson confirmed. Now, there is hope that he could be back in the Mets’ rotation by June.

The Mets’ potentially dominant rotation

The 2021 campaign will be Syndergaard’s last in a Mets’ uniform unless the two sides can hammer out a contract extension or decide to keep their working relationship in next year’s free agency.

In 118 career starts and 716.0 innings, the 28-year-old has a 3.31 ERA and a 2.92 FIP, with 18.8 fWAR, a 26.4 K% and a 5.6 BB%. When healthy, he has been one of the National League’s best starters since 2015. However, he had to miss the whole 2020 campaign to have his elbow reconstructed.

Once the Mets get Syndergaard back, their rotation could be one of the NL’s best. They have ace Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, David Peterson, Syndergaard, and Steven Matz. However, Cohen, Alderson, and new general manager Jared Porter are fully expected to add another starter at some point, via free agency or trade market.

New York Mets’ star pitcher is ‘ahead of schedule’ after spring surgery: A June return is a possibility

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The New York Mets have perhaps the best pitcher in the planet in Jacob deGrom and a solid, mid-rotation arm in Marcus Stroman. After that, they have rookie David Peterson, who had a very good debut year in 2020, and Steven Matz, who didn’t fare so well.

As a result, they need to sign (or trade for) a couple of pitchers, at least, to shore up the depth in the rotation. Nowadays, MLB teams need between eight and ten starters to navigate through a full 162-game season. Between injuries, ineffectiveness, suspensions, and other unexpected scenarios, depth can disappear at any minute.

Noah Syndergaard is the wild card for the New York Mets. A 3.31-ERA pitcher (2.92 FIP) in 716.0 career frames, he underwent elbow reconstruction surgery (Tommy John) in March. Regular timelines stipulate between 14 and 16 months for pitchers to be ready to return from the procedure.

Mets are hopeful he can pitch in June

However, and according to Mets manager Luis Rojas, Syndergaard is “on schedule or maybe a little bit ahead of schedule” in his rehabilitation.

As a result of the injury, Thor missed the whole 2020 campaign. Initially, he was expected back around July or August. However, if he’s truly ahead of schedule, it is a real possibility that the Mets get him in the first half, which would be huge.

In fact, Mets president Sandy Alderson said in an interview on WFAN on Wednesday that June is a “reasonable expectation” for the hurler’s return.

The 28-year-old right-hander will become a free agent next November, so he will have every motivation to prove to the Mets and other teams that his elbow is in good shape once the games start.

For the Mets, having Syndergaard return so early will do nothing but improve their chances of qualifying to the playoffs and perhaps making a deep run.

New York Mets Injury Report: September 14, 2020

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With about two weeks worth of games left, the New York Mets have plenty of work to do to get themselves in a postseason spot. Will any key players return to action soon during the last few games?

Jeff McNeil is day-to-day after leaving Sunday’s game with “gastrointestinal discomfort” or, in other words, a stomach ache. Diarrhea is a COVID-19 symptom, but it currently seems like the issue is only a one-day issue for McNeil. He should return to the lineup on Tuesday.

Jake Marisnick is sidelined with a right hamstring injury that hampered him earlier in the season. The is no word on how long he will spend on the sidelines, but the Mets have not opted for an IL stint yet. As one of their best hitters against lefties, they will need his bat in the lineup as soon as possible.

Instead of optioning Franklyn Kilome, the Mets sent him to the 10-day IL with a split fingernail. It should not take a long time to recover, but the Mets may not need him back soon. Erasmo Ramirez took his role as a long man in the bullpen.

Dellin You There?

Dellin Betances played catch on Friday for the first time since landing on the IL with a right lat issue. His timetable to return is questionable, and the earliest the Mets should have him back is during the last week of the season. If the Mets are out of the race, we may not see him throw another pitch this season.

Corey Oswalt (right biceps tendinitis) and Tomas Nido (COVID-19) are two players who the Mets have been silent about. Both resumed baseball activities but have not returned to the active roster. For Nido, the acquisition of Robinson Chirinos closed out an opportunity for Nido to return when cleared.

Robert Gsellman, Rene Rivera, and Eduardo Nunez are out for the season with their respective injuries. When healthy, they did not provide much for the Mets, combining on for a -0.4 WAR.

Noah Syndergaard is still rehabbing from Tommy John Surgery as he looks forward to the 2020 season.

Also, if you are wondering, yes, Jed Lowrie will not touch a baseball field this season. Even manager Luis Rojas said he has no idea what Lowrie is doing.

New York Mets Injury Report (8/6/20)

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yankees, New York Mets, Marcus Stroman

The New York Mets injuries piled up over the second week of the season and it decimated three-quarters of their infield. Here is a look at all of the injuries the Mets are dealing with.

Amed Rosario has left quad tightness that he suffered during Monday’s game against the Atlanta Braves. The injury kept him out of both games against the Washington Nationals but it was not serious enough to put him on the Injured List. He should return to the lineup during the weekend.

Robinson Cano landed on the 10-day IL after a Grade 2 left adductor strain. He suffered the injury attempting to score from second on an infield single and sliding into home plate. It was clear Cano would suffer some type of injury when he had to run at 100%. Cano is confident he will be ready to play once his stint on the IL finishes.

Jeff McNeil has an intercostal strain that kept him out for the last three games. He also sees the injury as minor and should expect to find time in the lineup over the weekend. J.D. Davis solid defense at third base gives real question to McNeil possibly playing left field when he is healthy.

Depth Injuries

Rene Rivera hyperextended his elbow after only two games in 2020. His timetable for a return is unclear but the Mets likely will not carry a third catcher when the roster shrinks on Thursday.

Jake Marisnick has a left hamstring strain which has plagued him since summer camp began. He is scheduled to come off the IL over the weekend but the Mets trading for Billy Hamilton shows the injury is severe. Hamilton was brought in to replace the defense of Marisnick on the roster.

Eduardo Nunez has a left knee contusion he suffered attempting to beat out a ground ball. There is no timetable for his return and upon it he will be unlikely to make the 28-man roster with the play of Andres Gimenez and Luis Guillorme.

Marcus Stroman threw a four-inning simulated game last Friday and is scheduled to throw another on Thursday in Brooklyn. HIs left calf tear has kept him out through the first two weeks of the season but the Mets rotation needs him back. The biggest challenge for Stroman is to field his position. It clear he can pitch but he cannot move off the mound at 100%.

Robert Gsellman should return within the next few days from right triceps tightness. He still has to throw live batting practice but will join the Mets as soon as healthy. Gsellman will be a good addition to the Mets’ middle relief core.

Brad Brach tested positive for COVID-19, which landed him on the IL. He should return a few days after Gsellman and started throwing bullpen sessions during the week. Much like Gsellman, Brach sures up the middle relief core.

Long Term Injuries

Noah Syndergaard started throwing in his recovery from Tommy John Surgery. He had a catch with 2020 draft pick, J.T. Ginn, about a week ago but will not see the field until the 2021 season.

Jed Lowrie’s season came to an end when he landed on the 45-day IL with PCL laxity in his left knee. It affirmatively ended his Mets career, recording zero hits and going down as one of the worst contracts in Mets history.