WASHINGTON -- Noah Syndergaard said he showed up to Citi Field on Thursday wearing his "put out the fire" suit, confident that he would pitch despite a mild bout of right biceps discomfort. The Mets skipped his turn in the rotation anyway. So given a chance Friday to prove his readiness to return to the rotation, Syndergaard never lost confidence that he would pass all the required tests.
Following a bullpen session at Nationals Park, the Mets cleared Syndergaard to pitch their series finale Sunday in Washington -- three days later than he was originally scheduled to start.
"I'm pretty in tune with my body," Syndergaard said, adding that he refused to undergo an MRI on his arm. "I knew there was nothing happening in there."
To prove his readiness, Syndergaard threw a bullpen session in front of pitching coach Dan Warthen and completed a series of rotator cuff exercises. The Mets skipped his scheduled start with what manager Terry Collins called a "tired" right arm, likely stemming from a case of biceps tendinitis.
The Mets' Opening Day starter, Syndergaard is 1-1 with a 1.73 ERA in four starts. Perhaps most impressive, he has 30 strikeouts and zero walks in 26 innings. No pitcher in Mets history has compiled more strikeouts to open a season before walking a batter.