The Los Angeles Dodgers skipped Noah Syndergaard’s start after a brutal start to the season, so he can have a chance to find what’s holding him back on the mound.
In trying to unlock his former self that was seen with the New York Mets, Syndergaard is exhausting the last option presented to him: hypnosis.
Dodgers mental skills coach Brent Walker has reportedly been helping Syndergaard with the mental aspect of the game, working with him in the team’s «nap room» speaking quietly while wearing an eye mask. and relaxes.
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Noah Syndergaard #43 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on April 30, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Hypnosis therapy is something Syndergaard was willing to try, as he believes his weakness at the moment is mental.
«I’ll try whatever resource I have,» Syndergaard told the Los Angeles Times. «Just to get out of it.»
Syndergaard just hasn’t been the phenom we’ve seen with the Mets since he felt his elbow give out in 2020 during a spring training start. He would require Tommy John surgery and the road to recovery was not smooth, with setbacks including a scare where a doctor thought his UCL had ruptured again.
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While that wasn’t the case, Syndergaard has been searching for that triple-digit fastball/wicked slider combo that devastated hitters from 2015 to 2019 when he flourished with the Mets. And at just 30, he’s not ready to quit smoking entirely.
«It’s just trying to get to a point where he’s comfortable letting it go,» said Mark Prior, a former MLB starter and current Dodgers pitching coach. «Sometimes he shows a few things and then other times he backs off a little bit. He’s someone who’s really focused on his delivery, and something we’re trying to get him to do is get out of that and focus more toward the plate.»
Syndergaard added: «I try to throw it as hard as I used to. It just doesn’t come out the same.»
Noah Syndergaard #43 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on April 30, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Nicknamed «Thor» for his long blonde hair and imposing 6-foot-6, 242-pound stature, Syndergaard barely makes 92 mph on his fastball these days. And his reluctance to let it break now has resulted in a 6.32 ERA in six starts (31.1 innings) with 22 earned runs on 40 hits, five of which have been home runs.
He pitched with a 3.94 ERA between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Angels last year, but still didn’t feel like himself.
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Syndergaard now hopes that hypnosis treatment may be the solution he’s been looking for.
«I’ve done a lot of meditation and mindfulness practices [in the past]Syndergaard said. «This is a similar feeling. It’s like trying to put your body in a super deep state. … Match the physical side with the workings of my mind.”
Noah Syndergaard #43 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks to the dugout before the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on April 30, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
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Syndergaard will return to the mound on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers.