CINCINNATI — Noah Syndergaard will have to wait until at least 2015 to make his major league debut.
The Mets top pitching prospect was not among the probable final round of September call-ups on Sunday, a day after Triple-A Las Vegas was eliminated from the Pacific Coast League playoffs.
Bobby Abreu and Gonzalez Germen will return to the Mets, but assistant general manager John Ricco said Syndergaard is finished for the year.
“He’s got some innings left and we talked a little bit about whether we would use him in the bullpen,” Ricco said after the Mets’ 4-3 victory over the Reds. “The bottom line is there are really no starting opportunities here over the rest of the season.”
On Twitter, Syndergaard responded to a fan’s inquiry about why he isn’t headed to the major leagues by saying “good question,” but Ricco indicated general manager Sandy Alderson spoke with Syndergaard to explain the situation.
Syndergaard went 9-7 with a 4.60 ERA in 26 starts for Las Vegas this season and pitched 133 innings. The Mets would have capped Syndergaard around 150 innings.
“We wanted to emphasize with him we thought he had a good year,” Ricco said. “His peripheral numbers were all good. His ERA wasn’t quite what we were all hoping it would be, but obviously in Vegas those numbers are a little different.”
The 40-year-old Abreu is returning, according to Ricco, because the organization values him as a mentor to the younger players.
“He really has the approach we’re looking for offensively,” Ricco said. “One of the reasons we brought him in originally, it’s just another guy that really demonstrates the approach we’re looking for offensively and having him around is a good thing.”
Curtis Granderson homered for the second time in three games since moving to sixth in the lineup, and manager Terry Collins said the veteran outfielder will remain in that spot.
“We’ve got to leave this season with him feeling good,” Collins said. “If he can stay hot for the last couple of weeks, I think it will be real advantageous to him.”
Rafael Montero is scheduled to start Wednesday against the Rockies at Citi Field, allowing the rotation an extra day of rest.