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Monday night the Mets beat the Braves in their first visit to SunTrust Park (NYM 7, ATL 5), but overall, it was a bad day for the Amazin's. Earlier in the day they learned ace Noah Syndergaard will be out indefinitely with a partial torn lat muscle. Ouch.

Syndergaard suffered the injury Sunday afternoon in his start against the Nationals. Here's the video:

Syndergaard started Sunday's game just a few days after refusing an MRI on his balky biceps. He said he felt great and didn't need one. The Mets couldn't force Syndergaard to go for an MRI any more than your employer can force you to go for an MRI.

What the Mets could have done, however, is push Syndergaard's next start back (again). He was supposed to start Thursday before his biceps acted up. Rather than start him so soon after the biceps issue, the Mets could have sent Syndergaard for a quick 10-day DL stint to make sure he was 100 percent before taking the mound again.

On Monday, general manager Sandy Alderson took the blame for letting Syndergaard pitch Sunday. Here's what he told reporters, including Fred Kerber of the New York Post:

"Let me make clear, it was my decision for Noah to pitch. It was with input from a variety of different sources, including Noah himself. The MRI was not dismissed out of hand simply because Noah said he wouldn't do it," Alderson said. "I made the decision based on the most recent medical opinion I'd gotten there wasn't any connection between the injury and the purported discomfort in his biceps."

It's entirely possible skipping Sunday's start would have done nothing more than delay the inevitable. Maybe Syndergaard was doomed to get hurt from the start. It still feels like the Mets were a little careless with their franchise pitcher here. You won't see many teams sending their young ace out to the mound just a few days after his biceps was hurt.

Following Monday's win Syndergaard released a statement essentially apologizing for the injury and not being able to be there for his team:

Syndergaard, 24, was blasted for five runs in the first inning Sunday before exiting with the injury in the second inning. He is 1-2 with a 3.29 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings so far this season.