Major League Baseball

New York Mets: Noah Syndergaard's return still off in the distance

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:14 p.m. ET

Fansided, Tim Haberin/FanSided via Call to the Pen

Noah Syndergaard still has a long road back to the New York Mets. Given the club's poor spot in the standings, is there really a need to rush his return?

If any New York Mets fans were expecting Noah Syndergaard to return sooner rather than later, his recent comments don't paint the most optimistic picture. However, he feels confident that he is making progress and will be back on the mound before the end of the season.

Syndergaard spoke to WFAN Radio's Boomer & Carton yesterday to provide an update on the status on his partially torn lat muscle, which has kept him out of commission since the beginning of May. As related by ESPN.com, the 24-year-old right-hander said that he feels good but isn't sure exactly when he'll rejoin the Mets.

"As far as timetable is, it's tough to say," the pitcher told the radio show. "Lats are tricky just because it's a very specific rehab program. If you come back too soon, you really put yourself in a better situation to hurt yourself again.

"I probably won't be able to pick up a ball in quite some time. I have no pain but want to make sure my lat is nice and stretched out and flexible and ready to go."

Syndergaard made waves in late April for refusing to undergo an MRI after being scratched from a start. With him hitting the DL shortly thereafter, it certainly seemed like a poor move on his part. Nevertheless, the righty adamantly claims that he doesn't regret the decision, a statement likely to elicit a few eyerolls among frustrated fans.

More from Call to the Pen

Initial estimates pegged Syndergaard for a possible August return, and based on his remarks that seems like the earliest he might be ready. But what kind of position will the Mets be in once he's back on the hill?

Amid injuries to Syndergaard, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and several other key players, the team has had a rough go of it in the season's first couple months. The Mets currently own a 25-32 record, putting them in fourth place and 12 games behind the division-leading Nationals in the NL East. At nine games out, a Wild Card spot isn't much closer.

If a postseason berth still appears unlikely when Syndergaard is nearing a return, should the Mets consider erring on the side of caution and keeping him shelved for the remainder of the year? On the one hand, it would prevent him from rushing back to help a lost cause and allow him to make sure he's fully healed before coming back in 2018.

However, getting some legitimate work in game situations before the end of the season would also be valuable for Syndergaard. The Mets shouldn't push him, but they shouldn't impede his natural recovery process either, whether that involves him coming back sometime in August or making a few starts in September.

Of course, if the Mets experience a major turnaround and find themselves back in the playoff hunt down the stretch, that could complicate things and renew the desire to fast-track Syndergaard back into the rotation. Given the Mets' current situation, that's a major hypothetical. For now, they can only focus on the games in front of them.