Mets’ Noah Syndergaard Will Have Tommy John Surgery

Syndergaard is expected to be out until midway through 2021 as he recovers from the operation. Shortly after his last start before spring training was shut down, Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard was excited to review data from the team’s new motion-capture technology to hone his preparation routine. “We’re just kind of scratching the surface on what it’s really capable of,” he said. Syndergaard, 27, will have plenty of time to review that feedback before he takes the mound again.

On Tuesday, the team announced that Syndergaard’s right elbow needed ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction — better known as Tommy John surgery. Dr. David Altchek, the team’s medical director, will perform the surgery on Thursday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in West Palm Beach, Fla. The coronavirus pandemic has led many hospitals to cancel elective surgeries in preparation for a surge of patients, and Gov.

Ron DeSantis of Florida last week issued an order prohibiting any “medically unnecessary, non-urgent or nonemergency procedure” in the state. A spokeswoman for the Hospital for Special Surgery, Tracy Hickenbottom, said in an email that Syndergaard’s operation was defined as essential care and could proceed as planned. So while the 2020 M. L.

B. season remains in limbo because of the spread of the coronavirus, one thing appears certain: Syndergaard will not play this year. At the earliest, he is expected back with the Mets in the middle of the 2021 campaign. He is under contract through that season, after which he will be eligible for free agency.

Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Syndergaard had been experiencing discomfort in his elbow before the end of spring training activities, and that the pitcher had been in constant contact with the training staff from that point. After symptoms persisted, Syndergaard received a physical examination, and a magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed the ligament tear. A second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed the diagnosis and need for surgery.

“Noah is an incredibly hard worker and a tremendous talent,” Van Wagenen said in a statement released by the team. “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. ” Syndergaard’s absence opens a spot in the starting rotation for Steven Matz or Michael Wacha, the two pitchers who had been in camp battling for the fifth starter role.