Syndergaard out for week with left shoulder sprain

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Mets' top prospect, right-hander Noah Syndergaard, appears to have avoided the worst.

X-rays and a CT scan performed on Syndergaard's left shoulder on Friday came up negative for a possible fracture of the scapula bone, according to a team release. Doctors diagnosed Syndergaard with a sprained A/C joint in his left shoulder, recommending he refrain from throwing for five to seven days. He can resume baseball activity as tolerated thereafter.

The Mets' top-ranked player on MLB.com's 2014 Prospect Watch, Syndergaard sprained his shoulder attempting to make a tag play at home plate in the first inning on Thursday at Triple-A Las Vegas. He gave up three runs in two-thirds of an inning prior to leaving his first game action since May 21 after missing time due to an unrelated injury.

Syndergaard has struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, posting a 4.47 ERA in 11 starts, yet he has flashed plenty of potential throughout the early summer, striking out 57 against 19 walks in 54 1/3 innings.

He began the season as a candidate to be a first-half callup, perhaps as soon as June. Injuries -- including a mild flexor-pronator strain that sidelined him from late May into June -- have delayed his timetable, though there is a strong chance he could debut later this summer.