Syndergaard receives ‘all positive’ news in 2nd opinion on partial lat tear

Mets ace Noah Syndergaard received ‘all positive’ news on his partial lat tear following a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Thursday, a source told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Neither Syndergaard nor the Mets disclosed any news from the visit to ElAttrache, a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon who is also the head team physician for the Dodgers and the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. The good news from the source, DiComo says, leads to believe that Syndergaard only has a “simple muscle tear” and that injuries such as this will keep him out “around two months, with his recovery possibly stretching into a third month.”

Syndergaard was placed on the 10-day disabled list Monday after leaving his start against the Nationals on Sunday with one out in the second inning. However, the Mets said that there was no timetable for his return.

The injury came after a hectic week for the 24-year-old in regards to his health status. He had told reporters that he had felt some pain in his biceps while throwing earlier in the week. After taking anti-inflammatory medication for the pain, he was scratched from his start Thursday against the Braves after feeling slight pain while catching fly balls and he could not lift his arm above his shoulder. Syndergaard said that he felt the injury wasn’t a serious one and that he told the Mets he would not need an MRI on the arm, according to DiComo.

Currently, the Mets have Rafael Montero pitching in Syndergaard’s spot in the rotation. Montego is scheduled to start tonight against the Marlins. When asked about the future of the rotation after Syndergaard’s injury, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson did tell Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that the injury “accelerates” the process of looking for possible pitching depth moving forward. However, Alderson said pitchers who are out on the market may not be ready to pitch for them until “about the time” pitchers Seth Lugo and Steven Matz return to the team. Lugo and Matz are on the 10-day disabled list with inflamed elbow injuries.