New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard needs Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the team announced Tuesday.
The procedure will be done on Thursday and is expected to keep him out of the fold until at least April 2021.
“After experiencing discomfort in his elbow before Spring Training was suspended due to the pandemic, Noah and our health and performance department have been in constant contact,” Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement. “Based on the persistence of his symptoms, Noah underwent a physical examination and MRI that revealed the ligament tear.”
“A second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed the diagnosis and the recommendation for surgery. Noah is an incredibly hard worker and a tremendous talent. While this is unfortunate, we have no doubt that Noah will be able to return to full strength and continue to be an integral part of our Championship pursuits in the future.”
With his 2020 season now lost, Syndergaard will have pitched just one full season in the last four years.
A torn muscle in his torso held him out for a majority of the 2017 season before a finger injury limited his 2018 campaign to just 25 starts.
He eclipsed the 30-start mark in 2019, but it was his worst season as a professional.
After going 37-22 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.132 WHIP, and a strikeouts-to-walk ratio of 4.94, the 27-year-old’s numbers spiraled downward last year, posting a 4.28 ERA and a 1.234 WHIP while allowing a career-worst 24 home runs. His 94 earned runs allowed were the most given up by a starting pitcher in the National League.
Regardless of the down season, a healthy Syndergaard was expected to be the Mets’ No. 2 starter behind Jacob deGrom within a rotation that was one of the stronger units in baseball.
It was as important a season as ever for the right-hander, too. Following his recovery, Syndergaard will take the mound in 2021 in what will be the final year of being under team control. He is set to become a free agent next winter.
With him gone for the season, Marcus Stroman will move up to the No. 2 position while Rick Porcello is the third arm up.
The competition for the final spot in the rotation is now over between Michael Wacha and southpaw Steven Matz as both will round out the starting staff in 2020.
