New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard will miss rehab start after positive COVID test

NEW YORK – Mets starter Noah Syndergaard has tested positive for COVID-19, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Record.

Syndergaard was scheduled to make his second rehab outing with High-A Brooklyn on Sunday, but he was pulled from that start.

Manager Luis Rojas confirmed that Syndergaard is vaccinated, but did not reveal whether the right-hander is symptomatic.

"His outing right now is TBD," Rojas said. "We don't know when he's going to have his next rehab outing."

Syndergaard has not pitched in the big leagues since the 2019 season after recovering from Tommy John surgery. His comeback was delayed this summer by right elbow inflammation, which forced the Mets to shut him down for six weeks.

Sunday was Syndergaard's 29th birthday and the pitcher tweeted about that and the medical news, saying, "This birthday is so sick."

Rojas said he found out on Saturday that Syndergaard would not be able to start this weekend.

"I was able to talk to him," Rojas said. "He's frustrated."

On Thursday, Syndergaard tossed one inning in his first rehab start with Brooklyn. He threw 16 pitches, allowed one run and struck out one.

"I really can’t imagine leaving New York or leaving the Mets," Syndergaard told reporters on a Thursday night Zoom call. "I love the culture that New York has to offer, the grit and tenacity and hard work of all its citizens and fans. It’s been a special place to me ever since 2015."

Syndergaard will be a free agent this offseason. It's unclear whether he will have enough time to come back in 2021 – or in what capacity. If he returns this year, he will throw exclusively fastballs and changeups as a way to protect his elbow.

"We haven't committed to anything yet," Rojas said. "We're just waiting for clarification on when his next outing will be. I think that will give us an idea of what the next step is and probably a schedule in a sense. Right now, he's not starting today."

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This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Mets' Noah Syndergaard tests positive for COVID, rehab start delayed