Noah Syndergaard has a partially torn lat muscle with no timetable for return

The New York Mets are an absolute mess right now, and things are only getting worse.

On Monday, one day after Noah Syndergaard left his start due to an apparent injury, Syndergaard finally had an MRI. And there was no good news to report.

It’s exactly what they didn’t want to hear: Syndergaard has a partially torn lat muscle, and he’s being put on the disabled list. The Mets didn’t give a timetable for his return to action, though it’s worth mentioning that Mets pitcher Stephen Matz had a partially torn lat muscle back in 2015 and missed about two months.

[Sign up for Yahoo Fantasy Baseball: It’s not too late to get in the game]

This development is the latest depressing installment in the multi-day saga between Noah Syndergaard and the Mets. It started on Thursday when Syndergaard was scratched from his scheduled start due to discomfort in his right bicep. At that point, the Mets said Syndergaard would get an MRI, and everyone assumed he would.

But he didn’t. Syndergaard didn’t want to get an MRI, and told the Mets he felt fine after throwing a bullpen session Friday. When Mets GM Sandy Alderson spoke to the media after Sunday’s game, he said they decided to take Syndergaard at “face value” and let him pitch without an MRI.

We all know what happened next. Syndergaard allowed five runs in the first inning of Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals, and left after facing one batter in the second. In the post-game interview, Alderson offered up no explanation for why he and the Mets brass decided to let Syndergaard pitch based only on Syndergaard’s assessment of his own health. It’s safe to say that they’re probably regretting that decision now.

There is literally no silver lining here. It’s a nightmare scenario for Noah Syndergaard, the Mets, and Mets fans. But even during a period when it feels like everything is going wrong for the Mets, this incident sticks out as especially painful because it could have been prevented. If the Mets had stood firm and told Syndergaard that he wouldn’t pitch without an MRI no matter how great he felt, the last 24 hours would look a lot different.

But there’s no going back. All the Mets can do is hope Syndergaard heals well, and try to move on without him.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – –

Liz Roscher is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher