By Danielle McCartan (@CoachMcCartan and www.facebook.com/coachmccartan)

BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. – Noah Syndergaard, the almighty Thor, was placed on the 10-day disabled list today after an MRI showed a partial tear in his right latissimus dorsi muscle. He will undoubtedly have his stay extended to the 60-day DL.

This injury comes after Syndergaard refused an MRI after missing his start last Thursday (issues with his biceps and shoulder).  Are the two injuries correlated? Surely everyone will downplay it, but I do not believe them.  This is no coincidence.

Can #Mets survive w/out @Noahsyndergaard & where’s blame lie for it all? @NYDNHarper @sal_licata @PeterBotte @DailyNewsLive 5pm @SNYtv

— Jonas Schwartz (@Jonas_SNY) May 1, 2017

So: Who is to blame for the sidelining of the New York Mets’ ace? There are two bone-headed parties involved.

1. Noah Syndergaard:  Syndergaard should have simply gone for the MRI last week: it is painless and preventative.  A small injury, with a short rest period, became a larger injury, with a recovery period of a couple of months.  He should have obeyed hand that feeds him.  If the Mets’ training staff wants an MRI, they get an MRI!  His declination of the medical test demonstrates the immaturity of 24 year-old Syndergaard in this aspect.  Although he may be called Thor… no one is invincible.
2. The Mets’ Brass:  Yesterday’s injury could, and probably will, take months to heal. That’s not what the Mets want to hear.  So, what Mets executives should have done last week was tell Syndergaard what he did not want to hear: “You’re going to have an MRI, no excuses”.

This catastrophe could have been avoided.  There is a lesson learned: more accountability and better lines of communication are of utmost importance among players, coaches, medical staff, and executives.

Last summer, I interviewed Syndergaard at his annual Citi ProCamp.  Check it out, below!