Phillies news and rumors 6/1: Noah Syndergaard says he’d give his ‘hypothetical first-born to be the old me again’

It’s been a rough 2023 season for former Phillies starter Noah Syndergaard.

Now pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year deal, the right-hander has struggled mightily in 11 starts, his ERA ballooning to 6.54. And after surrendering five runs in five innings to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, the 30-year-old former All-Star was left longing for the old days.

“I would give my hypothetical first-born to be the old me again,” Syndergaard told reporters, including MLB.com‘s Juan Toribio, following his outing. “I’ll do anything possible to get back to that.”

Rising to stardom in the 2015 season as the New York Mets won the National League pennant, “Thor” was a key member of a talented rotation alongside pitchers like Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey. He became an All-Star in 2016, but injuries started to affect him the next season.

Syndergaard was limited to seven starts in 2017 before posting solid campaigns in 2018 and 2019. The following spring, however, he suffered an elbow injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Syndergaard missed the entire 2020 season and pitched just two games in 2021, his final year with the Mets.

After he signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels in 2022, the Phillies traded for Syndergaard at the deadline to bolster their rotation. He had a 4.12 ERA in 54 2/3 regular-season innings in Philadelphia and appeared in four games with two starts in the postseason as the Phillies made the World Series.

It was clear that Syndergaard’s stuff wasn’t what it once was in Philadelphia, but he was still serviceable as the team picked its spots to use him and tried to limit the number of times he’d face the batting order in an outing. This year, on the other hand, he’s started to unravel.

Syndergaard’s average fastball velocity is down to 92.7 mph, far from the days when he’d regularly touch triple digits with ease. He’s been hit around all season, and — if the results don’t change soon — his spot in the Dodgers rotation could be in jeopardy.

“It really sucks,” he said. “Right now I just feel like I’m the weakest link on this team. I want to go out there and compete and be successful for the other guys in this clubhouse, but it’s just not working out.”

Must Read (Or Watch) Phillies Content

• The Phillies are continuing to struggle, with Aaron Nola providing the latest lackluster starting pitching performance on Wednesday against the Mets.
• Alec Bohm is dealing with a left hamstring injury. He underwent an MRI on Wednesday, with the results yet to be announced.
• Darick Hall (right thumb sprain) went 2-for-4 with a walk and Rafael Marchán (right hamate fracture) went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for Single-A Clearwater on Wednesday as they are both rehabbing with the club. Last year’s first-round pick Justin Crawford had three hits with two doubles in a 6-3 Threshers win over Dunedin.

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