Noah Syndergaard DFA'd by Guardians After Midseason Trade from Dodgers

Noah Syndergaard has been designated for assignment from the Cleveland Guardians, MLB insider Robert Murray and MLB.com's Julia Kreuz reported.

Syndergaard gave up five runs on four hits and three walks, also recording three strikeouts, in six innings during the Guardians' 10-7 Sunday win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Guardians acquired Syndergaard in July in exchange for shortstop Amed Rosario, but he has been inconsistent through six starts.

Cal Quantrill is expected to return soon from a rehab assignment for a shoulder injury and could fill Syndergaard's spot in the starting rotation.

Syndergaard's best outing with the Guardians came on August 10, when he held the Blue Jays to one run on six hits, striking out five batters while walking two. It marked his first win as a Guardian and his first victory since April 30.

That win came just five days after Syndergaard worried Guardians fans in his second start with the team by allowing a career-high four home runs during an 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on August 4.

Although Syndergaard struggled with a mid-game fingernail break and a throwing hand blister earlier in his season with the Dodgers, his June trip to the injured list was not entirely due to physical limitations. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts told reporters Syndergaard's IL designation had been in part due to the "mental" and "emotional" toll of the game.

Syndergaard indicated earlier this month that his struggles with the Guardians were not due to injury.

"There's really no excuse or no reason why I should not be the pitcher that I was before, but every five days I got to go there and compete with what I got," the pitcher said following his first Guardians victory, per Steve Herrick for the Associated Press.

"Every day I just try to get a little bit better," Syndergaard continued. "I'm definitely not where I want to be, but I think the coaches that I have here put me in the right direction."

The Guardians are Syndergaard's fourth team in two seasons. The pitcher has also played for the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies since he first left the New York Mets, where he finished eighth in Cy Young voting in 2016.