<p>NEW YORK &mdash; Noah Syndergaard was pulled from his minor league rehabilitation outing because of soreness in his pitching elbow Tuesday night, the latest setback for a New York Mets team ravaged by injuries.</p>
<p>The hard-throwing right-hander is coming back from Tommy John surgery on March 26 last year. He threw four shutout innings with five strikeouts last Wednesday for Class A St. Lucie but lasted only one inning in his second start with the team.</p>
<p>The Mets said Syndergaard was removed as a precaution. He had been on track for a mid-June return, but suddenly that appears uncertain at best.</p>
<p>The 28-year-old Syndergaard, an All-Star in 2016, is 47-30 with a 3.31 ERA in five major league seasons. He can become a free agent in the fall.</p>
<p>New York has 16 players on the injured list, most in the majors, and is missing three of its top five starting pitchers in Syndergaard, Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker. </p>
<p>Mets ace Jacob deGrom returned Tuesday from the IL and started against the Colorado Rockies. The two-time Cy Young Award winner had been sidelined since May 9 by tightness in his right side. He struck out eight and walked none in three hitless innings during a rehab outing for St. Lucie in the Low-A Southeast League last Thursday. </p>
<p>“To get Jake today I know is huge for everyone,” manager Luis Rojas said before the game. “Definitely uplifting.” </p>
<p>Carrasco, out with a strained right hamstring, isn’t expected back until late June or early July.</p>
<p>Walker has been out since May 18 due to tightness in his right side. He threw live batting practice to two hitters Tuesday and Rojas said it was “very encouraging.”</p>
<p>Rojas said Walker didn’t feel anything similar to when he went on the 10-day IL. He is scheduled to play catch Wednesday and throw a “touch and feel” on Thursday. </p>
<p>Rojas said he doesn’t expect Walker to need a rehab start before returning to the rotation. </p>
<p>Despite all the injuries, the Mets began the day 21-20 and in first place in the tightly contested NL East. New York had lost three straight and seven of 10, however.</p>
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