On June 22, New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard was pulled from his start because of discomfort in his elbow and sent for an examination, and according to the Mets, he was prescribed anti-inflammatory medication.

Standard operating procedure in the industry in a situation like this is caution, especially with a young pitcher. Syndergaard is 23 years old, with the best fastball of any starting pitcher in the game, and theoretically could have a long and successful future ahead, if he can stay healthy.

Which is why the Mets greatly surprised a lot of rival executives by keeping Syndergaard in the rotation, to face the Nationals this week. "Have you ever heard of anything like that?" one executive asked rhetorically.