Sports

Noah Syndergaard on alleged substance: Balls felt like ice

PHILADELPHIA — Noah Syndergaard is well aware of the video that went viral in recent days of him pressing his fingers into his glove for an apparent substance before throwing a pitch.

But the Mets right-hander denies there was anything nefarious about his actions.

“If I were doctoring up the baseballs, I wouldn’t be throwing 86 mph sliders,” Syndergaard told The Post after the Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Phillies on Wednesday.

On a cold night at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, it’s possible Syndergaard was concealing pine tar that would have helped him grip the baseball. But Syndergaard, who surrendered five runs over five innings, wouldn’t directly answer to that charge.

“You felt those baseballs, they felt like ice cubes,” Syndergaard said. “Watch a video of a dog trying to pick up an ice cube, that’s what it was like.”





Though pitchers are banned from using pine tar, the rule is seldom enforced, unless the opposing team complains. A notable exception came in 2014, when the Yankees’ Michael Pineda was ejected for applying pine tar to his neck and dabbing the baseball, blatantly disregarding the rule.

Jacob deGrom is battling strep throat, leading manager Mickey Callaway to push back the right-hander’s next start until Saturday. Jason Vargas will be moved up a day to pitch Friday in St. Louis.

Saturday originally would have been deGrom’s day, but Callaway had reconfigured the rotation to ensure Vargas wouldn’t have to face the Phillies next Wednesday at Citi Field. Now Vargas will be in line to pitch that day.

If deGrom still isn’t ready for Saturday, it’s possible the Mets would use Steven Matz on three days rest, after the left-hander faced only eight batters Tuesday and was removed without recording an out. The left-hander allowed eight runs, six of which were earned.





Jed Lowrie returned to Port St. Lucie and is expected to begin taking live batting practice Saturday, but Callaway indicated it’s too soon to say when Lowrie might begin a minor-league rehab assignment. Lowrie has been rehabbing from a sprained capsule in his left knee that has kept him sidelined since early in spring training.

Jacob Rhame was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, a day after Drew Gagnon was needed to pitch 5 1/3 innings in relief. Gagnon was optioned to Syracuse.

Jeff McNeil finished 2-for-4, giving him six straight multi-hit games. David Wright was the last Mets player to have at least that many. Wright had seven straight multi-hit games in 2011.





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