Noah Syndergaard injury update: Torn lat muscle, on DL

More bad news for the New York Mets — Noah Syndergaard has a torn lat muscle and has been placed on the disabled list.

When Noah Syndergaard left his start Sunday after only 1.1 innings and 38 pitches, Mets fans braced for the worst. A serious injury to Syndergaard, who had a start skipped last week due to a biceps injury, might be the final nail in the coffin for a team that was plagued by injuries for the entire month of April. Syndergaard underwent an MRI on Monday morning, and the results were a worst-case scenario.

Syndergaard was initially believed to have a lat strain behind his right shoulder. That in and of itself could have forced the big right-hander to the disabled list for an indeterminate amount of time. The MRI revealed a partial tear in his muscle. There is no timetable for Syndergaard’s return, but this is awful news for the Mets and their ace. Just last week, he refused an MRI on his sore biceps.

The injury parade continues for the Mets, whose roster resembles a M*A*S*H unit more than an MLB team. Syndergaard becomes the eighth player on the DL only a month into the season. The Mets decision-making process regarding seemingly minor injuries has drawn scrutiny. Syndergaard is not the only player on the team to attempt to downplay an injury. A video of Yoenis Cespedes testing his injured hamstring in batting practice and collapsing in pain surfaced last week. He is now on the disabled list with a strained hamstring.

For a hard-throwing pitcher like Syndergaard, the long-term impact of a lat injury is difficult to predict. Clayton Kershaw has dealt with lat and back injuries at different times in his career, and has never seen any affect to his elbow or shoulder. Syndergaard’s teammate, Steven Matz, had a torn lat muscule in 2015, and has seen it carry over into elbow issues.

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Losing Syndergaard for an extended period of time is the worst news the Mets could have received, but they will have to attempt to climb out of last place without their ace. When Syndergaard does return, the Mets must be careful in handling him and reining in his desire to pitch through every bit of pain. The onus is now on Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler to step up in Syndergaard’s absence.