Look, if we are being honest, we just saw a really ugly side of Noah Syndergaard this past week, and it all surrounded how he is handling his current physical issues.  As we have seen in the past, this isn’t the first time it has happened with Syndergaard.

Last year, there was a lot of drama surrounding Syndergaard’s elbow, and that drama was mostly created by Syndergaard himself.  After the Mets had confirmed a report that Syndergaard did indeed have bone spurs in his elbow, he denied their existence saying, “I do not, no. My arm feels great.  No, there is nothing structurally wrong with (the elbow), wear and tear will do it to you. My arm feels really good. I just have to get ready to go in five days.”  (Kristie Ackert, New York Daily News).  His denial of a team confirmed report created an unnecessary news cycle that ended in Syndergaard finally admitting two days later there was a bone spur.

The lesson here is there is no point in lying to the media, especially when they already know the truth.  There’s also the lesson that you’re not going to win with the media, especially in a town like New York.  Despite that, Syndergaard is repeating past mistakes.

After the Mets shielded him and started Robert Gsellman on Wednesday chalking it up to a “miscommunication,” the Mets and Syndergaard finally had to come clean on Thursday when Matt Harvey had to make an emergency start in his place.  It was finally time to come clean.  The Mets admitted Syndergaard had an issue with his bicep which precluded him from making the start.  When it was time for Syndergaard to address the media, Syndergaard was completely unprofessional.  According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, instead of answering reporters questions, Syndergaard chose to rip into Jay Horowitz for allowing the media to do its job.  Syndergaard wasn’t just disprespectful to Horowitz, he was also disrespectful to a media doing it’s job.  As Jerry Beach tweeted, Syndergaard called the media Horowitz’s minions.

As if this was not bad enough, Syndergaard did something really dumb after that.  He refused to get an MRI.  The Mets made the dumber decision to let him pitch despite his not getting that MRI.  Syndergaard took the mound without anyone knowing the full breadth of his injury.  He would only last 1.1 innings before needing to come out the game with an injury.  As of this moment, it is reported to be a lat injury, and no one knows if it is related to the aforementioned bicep issue.

With Syndergaard leaving the game with the injury, he left behind an exasperated Sandy Alderson, angry Terry Collins, and a dejected fan base.  Also, he’s getting that MRI he initially refused to get making this whole exercise completely pointless.

Maybe Syndergaard needs to believe he is indestructible in order to take that mound and pitch as great as he does.  Maybe his emotions get in the way, and he responds in ways he later regrets.  No one really knows because no one has the stuff he has, and those that have had something close have not been able to harness it the way Syndergaard has.  He’s special on the mound, and there’s no doubt his mental makeup is a large part of that.

Still, Syndergaard needs to be a professional out there.  While the New York media can certainly be unbearing, and at times cruel, a player has to learn to deal with them.  Moreover, he has to learn to treat the people he works with with respect.  That involves treating Horowitz like something more than a punching bag.  It involves him doing the aspects of his job he doesn’t want to do like talking to the media when there’s a problem.  It involves him not leaving his teammates to pick up the bag for him in the clubhouse or in the locker room.

These are the same criticisms everyone had of Harvey last year when he was going through his struggles, and they were all fair.  However, it should be noted Harvey was not on record insulting anyone.  He knew enough not to do that.

This isn’t to say Syndergaard is a bad guy, or that he needs to change that thing about him that makes him great.  We all love his swagger.  The 60’6″ talk.  The pseudo-war with Mr. Met.  Rather, Syndergaard just needs to learn when to answer a question and listen to medical advice.  If anything, it will make his time in New York easier, and it might lengthen his career.