Mets' Syndergaard intends on being ready for Opening Day 2021

New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard has every intention of being ready to return to the mound for Opening Day in 2021.

Syndergaard is currently recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent on March 26. It still is not a given that
the 27-year-old will be able to complete his rehab in time for next season. However, he sees it as a challenge worth facing.

"I think this is the best time to (rehab) considering there is no baseball right now, but I fully intend to be ready for next Opening Day, but doing it in a smart way," Syndergaard said, told Mike Puma of the New York Post. "The rehab is 12-15 months, and I see that as a competition."

For Syndergaard to be on the team's Opening Day roster, he'd likely need to get into spring training games, which would show an even quicker recovery than normal from a torn UCL.

The Texas native is slated to enter his final year of arbitration this following offseason, with his first trip to free agency following the 2021 season. He will join a loaded starter free agency class that includes: Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber and multiple more.

Over parts of five seasons with the Mets, Syndergaard has shown ace potential, particularly in 2016 when he made the NL All-Star team and went 14-9 with a 2.60 ERA across 183 innings. However, injuries and staying healthy has long been a concern. Even though he pitched a career-high 197 innings in 2019, he posted a bloated 4.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP.

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