Jay Jaffe FanGraphs Chat – 5/28/21

Yes. The Mets front office knowing he’s likely leaving want to get what they can from him these next few months, and Thor knowing he’s a free agent wants to get back out on the mound and show that he’s back. That perhaps led to an overly aggressive schedule. No two pitchers are alike, but we have three top-end starters all have TJS prior to the start of the 2020 season. Luis Severino on the Yankees was first, with TJS in February 2020. Syndergaard on the Mets and Sale on the Red Sox had their surgeries within days of each other in late March 2020, a month after Severino’s. Reports indicate the Red Sox hope to have Sale back maybe late July, early August. The Yankees are reportedly targeting Severino for post the All-Star break in July. That means Syndergaard’s return was about two months more aggressive than what’s indicated for either Severino’s or Sale’s. Once again, each recovery is different, but Syndergaard’s has always felt rushed, especially with some recent reports indicating a longer rehab is more beneficial.

Syndergaard is a free agent after this year. The Yankees can control Severino through 2023. The Red Sox have invested in Sale through 2024. It doesn’t take much of a cynic to connect to dots here on why Syndergaard might have been pushed harder than the other two.