New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard has reportedly undergone successful Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL.
This week, New York Mets fans received some heartbreaking news, regardless of the 2020 MLB season’s ultimate fate. Reports stated that right-hander Noah Syndergaard was to undergo Tommy John surgery due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his pitching elbow. This would effectively end his 2020 campaign and put his return date at some point during the 2021 season.
But there’s now at least some good news to better the fanbase’s overall optimism. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the procedure, which took place on Thursday, was successful. The recovery timetable is now set at 12-14 months.
New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Thursday, a source tells ESPN. If all goes well in his recovery, he'll miss 12-14 months and return sometime in the 2021 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 27, 2020
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Major League Baseball canceled the rest of the spring training games. Nonetheless, Thor and numerous other Mets were still working out down in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He apparently had “discomfort” in his elbow prior to the cancelation and ultimate delaying of the regular season.
“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,” general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said this week, per Passan. “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.”
This will be Syndergaard’s first season in the majors that he’ll be missing entirely. In 2017, he only pitched in seven games, having dealt with a torn lat muscle that year.
It’s still unclear what this could mean for Syndergaard’s ultimate future in Queens. He’s eligible for arbitration in 2021 and will be a free agent ahead of 2022.
Last season was arguably his least productive year in a Mets uniform. Through 32 starts, he posted a 10-8 record with career-worsts in both ERA (4.28) and WHIP (1.234).
The Mets will likely enter the 2020 season (if it happens) with Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello, Steven Matz, and Michael Wacha in the rotation.
