New York Mets' Noah Syndergaard leaves game with "possible lat strain"

WASHINGTON -- New York Mets ace Noah Syndergaard left his start in the second inning Sunday against the Washington Nationals with an elbow injury.

The Mets' official status update is a "possible lat strain."

Syndergaard is heading back to New York City for an MRI, according to the team.

Syndergaard immediately held up his right elbow after throwing a 2-2 pitch to Bryce Harper.

The Mets right-hander was scratched from his start on Thursday in Atlanta with a "tired arm," according to Mets manager Terry Collins.

Syndergaard refused to take an MRI exam earlier this weekend.

"I'm pretty in tune with my body," Syndergaard told MLB.com, adding that he refused to undergo an MRI. "I knew there was nothing happening in there."

He gave up five hits and five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings Sunday, with two walks, a wild pitch and two strikeouts. Syndergaard was replaced by Sean Gilmartin in a game that the Mets trailed 5-2.

Syndergaard entered Sunday with a record of 1-1 and a 1.73 ERA. There was no immediate word on the severity of his injury. He had not walked a batter this year until Harper drew a free pass in the first. He now has 32 strikeouts and two walks this year.

Rene Rivera of the Mets hit a solo shot in the top of the second to trim the Washington lead to 5-2.

The Nationals scored five runs in the last of the first to take a 5-1 lead. Ryan Zimmerman had an RBI single, Anthony Rendon had a two-run single to left, Michael A. Taylor had an RBI single and pitcher Joe Ross singled to left to drive in the speedy Taylor.

Syndergaard hit 100 mph on the Nationals Park scoreboard in the first inning but gave up several hard-hit balls. He gave up a line out to third to Jayson Werth to lead off the second before he left the game after the pitch to Harper.

New York lost slugging outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to the disabled list on Friday with a hamstring injury.

The Mets grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first as Jose Reyes tripled down the right-field line and scored on a single by Jay Bruce, who had been hitless in his previous seven at-bats.