The New York Mets‘ starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard underwent successful elbow reconstruction surgery on Thursday. This week, more precisely on Tuesday, it was announced that the talented hurler had a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow that required the Tommy John procedure.
The surgery was performed in Florida. There was a controversy because some people in the industry saw the procedure as “nonessential” and those were banned until further notice because of the coronavirus. However, Florida doctors gave the green light.
Thor will be sidelined for the whole 2020 season, if there is one, and for at least a couple pf months of next year, as well. Given that recommended rehab for the surgery is between 12 and 15 months (it could extend to 18 months in some cases) he has a shot to return prior to the 2021 All-Star break, although it’s not a given.
A Mets’ statement
“Noah is an incredibly hard worker and a tremendous talent,†Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement. “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.â€
Losing Thor for such an extended period of time represents a huge blow for the Mets’ postseason odds. He was slated to follow ace Jacob deGrom in the rotation, where his pedigree and strikeout prowess were going to be useful for the team to make a run at the playoffs.
After all, Syndergaard had a 4.4 fWAR season in 2019 even though it wasn’t his sharpest year. Overall, his 4.28 ERA was mediocre but his 3.60 FIP was much better. He still struck out over a batter per inning and was dominant for stretches.
The Mets will now have deGrom as the ace, with Marcus Stroman, Rick Porcello, Steven Matz and Michael Wacha completing the rotation.