Mets play the Phillies and Noah Syndergaard is getting pushed back again

Noah Syndergaard’s return to Citi Field last weekend was all talk, a few highlights, and mostly sitting around. He wasn’t scheduled to pitch against the New York Mets. This Sunday, however, Syndergaard was in line to start.

Then came the announcement on Wednesday that he'd get pushed back to Monday. It's now the second time this season he has gotten pushed back a day to avoid the Mets.

The Mets and Philadelphia Phillies play three more games this weekend with Syndergaard once again limited to cheerleader status. Once is understandable. Twice is a pattern.

Noah Syndergaard is skipping another start against the Mets this weekend

There I was last weekend preparing a story about the anticipation of Syndergaard facing the Mets on Sunday. Like a fool, I believed there was no way with four games in three days that he'd possibly miss a chance to face his former club with a playoff spot on the line. Here I am days later having to revise the story.

When Syndergaard left for the Los Angeles Angels this offseason, the chances of seeing him face the Mets were limited. As luck would have it, the Angels were one of the American League clubs on the 2022 schedule. Syndergaard ended up skipping a start which would have had him hosting New York.

This time, it felt almost impossible for Syndergaard to skip his turn. He last pitched on Monday. Conveniently, he's going to need an extra day yet again.

By itself, Mets vs. Phillies is always contentious. More so this year with both teams in the playoff race. The two have actually never made it to the postseason in the same year. Could this year be the first and will they actually meet in October? And if so, how does Syndergaard avoid pitching entirely?

If this Mets season was a movie, Syndergaard’s arrival back to Philadelphia would be a big part of the story. Played by Jared Padalecki in the movie version of this season, there would have to be some sort of big game in the playoffs where Syndergaard appears to face the Mets. We get Taran Killam of SNL fame to play Jacob deGrom in what is a change of pace from his comedic career. Don’t even suggest either would be too old. Have you not seen Beverly Hills 90210? If the studio is willing to pay a lot of money to turn this movie into a bigger blockbuster, Steve Cohen can be played by Michael Keaton. Bradley Cooper might not be a bad choice for Max Scherzer either.

Before the story of the 2022 Mets gets turned into a film, there’s a series against the Phillies to worry about. Syndergaard vs. the Mets would have been a nice battle in this film but it will have to wait.