Noah Syndergaard
Bill Streicher | USA TODAY Sports

This is getting funny.

Noah Syndergaard will miss the Mets again. The Phillies have pushed back the right-hander’s next start, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Syndergaard was supposed to pitch Sunday against the Mets in Philly, but now he’ll go Monday against the Reds.

In a vacuum, it makes complete sense. The Phillies want to give Syndergaard an extra day of rest after he threw seven innings on four days rest his last time out. The guy is in his first full season post-Tommy John surgery and they are in a pennant race. But this move is not in a vacuum. At least here.

Syndergaard skipped a scheduled start against the Mets back in May when he was with the Angels. The team he signed with last offseason after jilting the Mets. Syndergaard has also taken several jabs at his old club over the last few months. And he more or less said he ran away from the pressure of New York in a recent powwow with the Mets press corps.

“It wasn’t like I signed for 10 years with the Yankees,” he said. “So I just needed a little break.”

Apparently that break hasn’t been long enough yet. And it may not end anytime soon.  This weekend’s four-game set at Citizens Bank Park will wrap up the regular season series between the NL East rivals. The teams could meet in the postseason — the current standings would have the Braves and Phillies meeting in a wild card series with the winner facing the Mets. And, you would imagine, Syndergaard would have to take the mound then. But a lot has to happen for that to become a reality.

MORE ON ESNY:
Giants finally right immense wrong by honoring Leonard Marshall
Yankees are ‘straight garbage,’ Stephen A. Smith shrieks in epic rant
Who are most compelling Giants, Jets players in 2022?
WFAN’s Yankees ‘fanalyst’ has big idea to save season
MLB postseason schedule is out, so let’s talk Mets, Yankees pitching plans
Daniel Jones has little chance with these Giants receivers
Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez have made peace. Will Yankees honor A-Rod next?

James Kratch can be reached at [email protected]

 

James Kratch is the managing editor of ESNY. He previously worked as a Rutgers and Giants (and Mike Francesa) beat reporter for NJ Advance Media.