Syndergaard blames workload for elbow flare-up

Noah Syndergaard is chalking up his elbow scare to an increased workload and a spike in his velocity.

The New York Mets' starter was yanked Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals after six innings due to elbow discomfort. An MRI was clean, and he's expected to make his next start.

"I’ve thrown quite a bit more pitches than I did last year at this time," Syndergaard told ESPN's Adam Rubin. "I’m throwing harder than I did last year. It’s probably just basic wear and tear.”

Throughout his outing, Syndergaard said he could feel the issue getting worse as the game went on. He gave up three runs on eight hits in the 4-3 win, but his velocity was down. He was prescribed an anti-inflammatory.

Related: Mets' Syndergaard will make next start

Syndergaard told the training staff he felt something was tugging in his elbow, prompting manager Terry Collins to remove him from the game and send him for tests.

He was also checked after a May 1 start against the San Francisco Giants, when a similar situation transpired. Just as he is now, he stayed in the rotation and didn't miss any time.

"I didn’t really feel comfortable the whole game,” Syndergaard said. “I think the first three innings were pretty decent. But toward the fourth inning and later on, I was just having a little bit of control issues.

"There were a couple of pitches … I was trying to throw it in one spot and it ended up being in another spot," he added. "So I was like, ‘Something is not feeling right.’ It was just a little something and turned out to be nothing.”