When will Noah Syndergaard return to Mets? Latest news, injury updates after Tommy John setback

The Mets suffered yet another key injury on Wednesday night.

Noah Syndergaard left his Single-A rehab start with the St. Lucie Mets after experiencing soreness in his right elbow. The veteran pitcher had Tommy John surgery 14 months ago and was in the process of working his way back from the injury.

Now, Syndergaard will be on the shelf for the Mets, and the team will have to wait and see whether he can return to action this year.

So, when will Syndergaard return after his latest injury? Here are the updates on the team’s second-best pitcher behind Jacob deGrom as his timetable for return is pushed back a bit.

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When will Noah Syndergaard return from injury?

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports that Syndergaard is being shut down for at least six weeks. At the earliest, he may be able to resume throwing in early-to-mid July, but it may be longer.

Either way, he won’t be returning to the Mets until at least August, as DiComo confirmed.

So, it seems like the Mets should plan on being without Syndergaard for at least another couple of months.

What is Noah Syndergaard’s injury?

There’s a multi-faceted answer to this question. As DiComo reported, Syndergaard is currently dealing with right elbow inflammation, but it’s more complicated than that.

In March 2020, Syndergaard was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his throwing elbow. The righthander had surgery to repair the issue on March 26 of that year and was out for the entire 2020 season.

The inflammation that Syndergaard is dealing with is in the elbow on which he had surgery. That’s why the Mets are taking a cautious approach with him. However, there is no structural damage for Syndergaard at this point, so he still may have a chance to return this season.

Noah Syndergaard injury timeline

Syndergaard was first diagnosed with a torn UCL on March 24, 2020, and had surgery two days later. He has spent the past 14 months rehabbing the injury and was just starting to work his way back into game shape.

On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Syndergaard exited his second rehab start in St. Lucie with a sore elbow. He pitched just one inning before being removed from the game.

After the Mets’ game against the Rockies, manager Luis Rojas wasn’t too worried about Syndergaard’s status

“It was more preventative than anything, taking him out after one inning because of the discomfort he had. It just didn’t feel right,” Rojas said, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “When that happens, especially in a rehab assignment that’s gone so by the book — everything’s gone on point — you expect there may be a speed bump on the road, when you’re on a rehab assignment like this.

“No one’s overly concerned, which is the good news I got. Let’s see what comes out of it.”

Unfortunately, it ended up being worse than expected, and that’s what led to Syndergaard being sidelined for at least six weeks starting on May 27.

As a result, Rojas’ tone changed dramatically.

“We pray that he can pitch for us this year,” Rojas said, per DiComo.

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Noah Syndergaard injury updates

— May 27, 2021: The Mets shut Syndergaard down for at least six weeks as a result of right elbow inflammation.

— May 26, 2021: After one inning of work, Syndergaard exits a Single-A rehab start while dealing with soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow.

— March 26, 2020: Syndergaard has successful surgery to repair his UCL injury. Recovery is expected to take 12-15 months.

— March 24, 2020: Syndergaard is diagnosed with a torn UCL and is ruled out for the 2020 MLB season.