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<p>ATLANTA &#8212; New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson may accelerate his search for pitching help after the team placed ace right-hander Noah Syndergaard on the 10-day disabled list Monday with a partial tear of his right lat muscle.</p><p>The Mets said there is no timetable for Syndergaard&#8217;s return, leaving Alderson to look for pitching help outside the organization.</p><p>&#8220;I said over the last few days we had looked at that possibility,&#8221; Alderson said before Monday night&#8217;s game against the Atlanta Braves. &#8220;I would say yes, this probably could accelerate that process.&#8221;</p><p>Mets left-hander Steven Matz missed two months with a similar lat injury in 2015. Matz is on the DL with left elbow irritation and could return by the end of May.</p><p>Syndergaard (1-2) allowed five runs on five hits in the first inning of Sunday&#8217;s 23-5 loss to the Nationals. He grimaced after throwing a second-inning strike to Bryce Harper and reached for his right armpit before leaving the field with a trainer and manager Terry Collins.</p><p>The injury came only a couple days after he said he felt fine and refused a MRI. He was a late scratch from a scheduled start last Thursday after complaining of biceps and shoulder discomfort in his pitching arm.</p><p>After Sunday&#8217;s injury, there was no room for debate about the MRI. The test at New York&#8217;s Hospital for Special Surgery early Monday revealed the partial tear.</p><p>&#8220;The doctor has said there wasn&#8217;t any connection, there isn&#8217;t any connection, between what happened and a possible bicep injury,&#8221; Alderson said. &#8220;That&#8217;s all I can go on.&#8221;</p><p>The Mets also are without slugger Yoenis Cespedes, who was placed on the disabled list Friday with a strained left hamstring.</p><p>Meanwhile, first baseman Lucas Duda, out with a hyperextended left elbow, had a setback during his minor league rehab assignment. Alderson said Duda has been &#8220;slowed down slightly&#8221; for a couple days before resuming his minor league rehab. He was eligible to be activated from the 10-day DL on Monday.</p><p>Infielder Wilmer Flores (right knee infection) also is out.</p><p>Sunday&#8217;s ugly loss and the growing list of injuries left the Mets without their top starter and power hitter as they opened the four-game series against the Braves in last place in the NL East.</p><p>&#8220;Somebody has got to pick up the slack,&#8221; Collins said. &#8220;I&#8217;m not asking any starting pitcher to become Noah Syndergaard. I&#8217;m asking him to be himself and go pitch a good game. &#8230; In the case of offense without Cespedes in the middle of your lineup, you&#8217;re asking (Jay) Bruce, (Neil) Walker and (Curtis Granderson) to drive some runs in.&#8221;</p><p>The Mets recalled right-hander Paul Sewald from Triple-A Las Vegas. Collins said the team needed another arm after the bullpen was exhausted in the lopsided loss to the Nationals.</p><p>The Mets must find a replacement to fill Syndergaard&#8217;s spot in the rotation by Friday. Collins said left-hander Sean Gilmartin and right-hander Rafael Montero are the top candidates to join the rotation. Gilmartin was recalled from Las Vegas on Friday.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_116353566-5d78c4f8e1814995bd99e8f35de2cdcf.jpg</photo0><caption0>New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Charles Odum</p><p>AP Sports Writer</p></bylineMeta></div>

Mets place Syndergaard on DL with partial muscle tear