CHICAGO --
FIRST PITCH: Noah Syndergaard Day has arrived!
Syndergaard, 22, makes his major league debut for the New York Mets on Tuesday at 8:05 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field. He starts in place of Dillon Gee, who landed on the disabled list with a groin strain.
Syndergaard was 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in five starts for Triple-A Las Vegas before the promotion.
He opposes Chicago Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta (3-3, 3.41 ERA).
"I'm excited to see this kid pitch, because I'm a fan," manager Terry Collins said. "But, first and foremost, I'm the manager of this team. And I think he's good enough to win here, or he would not be out there. This is not a show. This is not a Broadway play that we're going to throw this kid out there and see how he sings. We know how he sings."
Syndergaard joined the Mets on Saturday in Philly -- three full days ahead of his debut. The Mets promoted him early at the expense of carrying an extra bench player or reliever for a few days because team officials wanted to get Syndergaard comfortable and acclimated to the big leagues.
"I thought the idea of bringing him here a couple of days ago was good," Collins said. "I've spent enough time around Noah Syndergaard, I'm pretty impressed with the makeup. I think he's made huge strides from last year. I saw the way he went about things in spring training this year. So I think he's ready. That's why I told him, 'This isn't just a gift to see if you can pitch here. You earned your right to be here.' That, to me, means a lot."
TUESDAY'S NEWS REPORTS:
Jacob deGrom allowed first-inning homers to Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo on consecutive pitches and ultimately surrendered four runs in five innings as the Mets lost to the Cubs, 4-3, in Monday's series opener. Lucas Duda and Wilmer Flores had solo homers in the sixth to pull the Mets within a run, but the Amazin's could not fully climb out of the early hole, despite a pair of hard-hit balls in the ninth. DeGrom has a 5.64 ERA in his past four starts as he struggles with his fastball command. The Mets' lead over the Washington Nationals has been sliced to 2 1/2 games. Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Newsday, Times, Journal, Record and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Buddy Carlyle was forced to depart Monday's game with lower-back spasms. He suggested postgame that it is difficult to gauge the injury's severity. Read more in the Post and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Bobby Parnell suffered a blown save in his first action with St. Lucie since resuming a rehab assignment. Parnell allowed three ninth-inning runs and issued a pair of wild pitches while his fastball sat at 90-92 mph.
Travis d'Arnaud has been cleared to begin most baseball activity as he returns from a fractured pinkie. He will not be cleared to resume swinging for roughly another week, though. Meanwhile, David Wright continued to seek treatment for his lower back on Monday, although a resumption of outdoor activity could come as early as Tuesday, according to assistant general manager John Ricco. Read more in Newsday and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Read more on Syndergaard's major league debut from columnist Ken Davidoff in the Post, columnist David Lennon in Newsday and columnist Phil Rogers at MLB.com.
Kevin Plawecki grew up a Cubs fan in Indiana. He named his cats Sosa and Prior, Mike Vorkunov writes at NJ.com.
Collins offered no indication he will shy away from starting John Mayberry Jr. against left-handed pitching. Mayberry went hitless in four at-bats Monday and is 3-for-29 on the season.
Tyler Pill allowed one run in seven innings and also contributed a sacrifice fly as Las Vegas rallied to beat El Paso, 3-1. Gavin Cecchini homered, but Richmond beat Binghamton, 4-3. Parnell's blown save wasted a solid performance by reigning Florida State League Pitcher of the Week Robert Gsellman as St. Lucie lost to Tampa, 4-2. Stefan Sabol's first-inning two-run homer helped lift Savannah to a 6-3 win against Hickory. Read the full minor league recap here.
The Yankees (No. 6) have overtaken the Mets (No. 7) in ESPN's power rankings.
Carlos Torres recalls playing minor league baseball with Denver Broncos tight end/fullback James Casey, Troy Renck writes in the Denver Post.
From the bloggers … Mets Report suggests the next week could help the Mets settle into a consistent lineup.
BIRTHDAYS: Kevin Bass turns 56. ... Jack Egbert is 32. ... Mark Clark is 47. ... Bob Heise was born on this date in 1947.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
Tyson Clabo's workout w/Cards went well enough that they were interested in signing him, but both sides couldn't come to an agreement.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) June 9, 2014YOU'RE UP: Are you more or less excited about Syndergaard's debut compared with the introductions of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler?