ATLANTA _ Noah Syndergaard's second opinion Tuesday confirmed the first: He has a strained ligament in his right index finger.
Syndergaard will rest until he is symptom-free, then start a throwing program, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Wednesday. As is the case with Yoenis Cespedes (strained right hip flexor), there is no real timeline for him to return.
An injury that the Mets initially hoped would keep Syndergaard out just one start _ then just two starts with him returning to pitch against the Yankees _ is going on three weeks. Syndergaard last pitched May 25, and Callaway said he likely will need a rehab start before returning to the majors.
For now, Syndergaard is still sore.
"It's tender to the touch," Callaway said. "Once all that subsides, we can start a throwing progression."
Right-hander Seth Lugo will remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future, including Friday night against the Diamondbacks.
The second opinion did offer Syndergaard some peace of mind that there wasn't anything else wrong.
"Anytime a guy gets a second opinion, that's probably the case," Callaway said. "It's not like they don't trust the doctor that gave them the first bit of information, but it's just to reconfirm the hard news that they're getting. Because it's not fun to get that kind of news. So they want to have it reiterated by somebody else."
