Mets VP of Player Development Paul DePodesta told reporters that Noah Syndergaard will be permitted somewhere in the vicinity of a 30-inning increase over last season’s total which will put him roughly at a 150-155 innings cap.

“A lot of it’s going to be on how he actually racks up those innings — how efficient he is in the pitch counts, how much rest he’s getting between starts, how much side work we do with him. But, as a general marker, that’s roughly fair.”

Adam Rubin has the full story on ESPN New York.

The Mets may try to conserve his innings by skipping an occasional start and capping his outings at 60 pitches.

DePo didn’t rule out the possibility of Syndergaard pitching in relief for the Mets, stating that such a decision was above his pay grade.

“That’s not my call, ultimately,” DePodesta said. “There are certain guys that I would say we’re more open to it than others. But, again, ultimately that’s not my decision.”

Syndergaard drew rave reviews a couple of days ago from Mets brass, coaches, scouts, and media alike when they all gathered to catch a glimpse of the hard-throwing righthander as he tossed his first bullpen of the Spring.

Thor was hitting 97 mph consistently with some great late life on fastball, that’s some very high octane for his first 40 pitches of spring training. But it was his curveball which wowed onlookers and prompted manager Terry Collins to call it “the hook from hell.”

With all the hype and fanfare for Thor this offseason, all of it well-deserved, it was amazing to see him take the mound and justify all of it with such a dazzling bullpen session.

What a steal… Hearts are breaking all over the Toronto area…

(Photo Credit: Anthony DiComo/MLB.com)