ATLANTA — Noah Syndergaard’s next stop is game competition.
The Mets right-hander is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment for Single-A St. Lucie on Wednesday, according to the team, as he builds up for a return to the major leagues next month.
The plan, according to an industry source, is for Syndergaard to remain with St. Lucie until at least May 31. It’s unclear what the next step would be after that.
In recent weeks, acting general manager Zack Scott has indicated Syndergaard is on track for a mid-June return to the rotation.
Syndergaard, who is 13 ½ months removed from the surgery, was placed on the 60-day injured list before the season, meaning the earliest date he would be eligible for activation is May 31.
Jacob deGrom felt good during a pregame throwing session Monday, according to manager Luis Rojas, giving him the green light to throw a bullpen Tuesday. DeGrom, who is on the IL with right-side tightness, is eligible to be activated for Friday’s game.
“It went good with deGrom,” Rojas said. “He gave me immediate good feedback that he felt good, so that is a plus, it’s a huge step, but the plan is for [Tuesday] for him to go and throw a side and then we’ll go from there, we’ll see what the next step is.”
Rojas before the game did not name a starting pitcher for Tuesday night, wanting to first see what bullpen usage was necessitated. Previously, the manager indicated Jordan Yamamoto and Thomas Szapucki were options from Syracuse. In addition, Joey Lucchesi could be a possibility, behind an opener.
The Mets transferred Seth Lugo to the 60-day injured list to create space on the 40-man roster for Johneshwy Fargas, who arrived from Triple-A Syracuse. Fargas had his first career hit and RBI in the eighth inning of Monday’s 3-1 win over the Braves. With the move, Lugo won’t be eligible for removal from the IL before May 31. But the right-hander is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment for St. Lucie on Tuesday, which would have him ready around that date, according to Rojas. Lugo has been sidelined since spring training after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow.
J.D. Davis is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday for Syracuse.