Noah Syndergaard’s rough season just got rougher.
The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander left Tuesday night’s game with the Brewers in Milwaukee after dealing with a cut on the index finger of his pitching hand in his one inning of work.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it’s too early to tell if the 30-year-old Syndergaard will be headed to the injured list
“Certainly the IL is a possibility, but we want to give Noah and the training staff some time before we make that decision,” Roberts said after the Dodgers’ 6-2 victory.
Syndergaard said this issue cropped up a couple of weeks ago during a bullpen session.
Roberts said Syndergaard had been able to pitch through it in the past because the cut has been covered up.
The problem arose again shortly before Tuesday’s game.
“I went to use the restroom before the game and looked down and my hand was bleeding pretty good,” Syndergaard said. “We tried to do what we could to make it serviceable, but it just got to the point where it was probably going to just continue to open up.”
After throwing his warm-up pitches before the bottom of the first inning, Syndergaard went to the dugout before returning to the mound.
He appeared to be dealing with blood on his index finger.
Syndergaard, 30, then allowed the first two Brewers hitters to reach base before he got out of the inning without allowing a run.
Christian Yelich hit a leadoff single and Jesse Winker walked before Willy Adames hit a drive that Chris Taylor caught in front of the left-field wall.
Rowdy Tellez then grounded into a double play.
Phil Bickford replaced Syndergaard with the Dodgers leading 3-0.
Syndergaard, who is off to a 1-3 start with a 6.32 ERA, threw 20 pitches, including 11 strikes, in his first appearance since April 30.
“Obviously he wants to pitch, and I understand that,” Roberts said. “We’ve got to make the best decision for him and for us.”
The decision is whether to give Syndergaard time off to allow the cut to heal or to see if the veteran can continue to work through it.
“I think we’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. “He’s had it and put stuff on it to keep it at bay. Tonight, it just didn’t take.”
The Dodgers had skipped the struggling Syndergaard’s last start, so he could figure out what has been the cause for his struggles.
Syndergaard, who has been working on improving his mental game, is trying hypnosis therapy, according to multiple reports.
“I’ll try just about any resource I have,” Syndergaard told The Los Angeles Times recently. “Just to snap out of it.”
Brent Walker, the Dodgers’ mental skills coach, has been reportedly trying to help Syndergaard improve his mindset on the mound, working with him in the team’s “nap room” by talking softly while he has an eye mask on and relaxes.
This injury came at a rough time for the 30-year-old Syndergaard who is pitching on a one-year, $13 million contract the Dodgers signed him this season.
Syndergaard, who pitched for the Mets for six seasons, is 58-44 with a 3.52 ERA in his career.
— with AP