Noah Syndergaard threw 16 pitches Thursday night in a rehab start for High-A Brooklyn, his first outing in months following a setback during his recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Syndergaard gave up a leadoff homer, the only hit he allowed in one inning. He had one strikeout.

"It's definitely a sigh of relief and a step in the right direction," he said.

Syndergaard was shut down in May with elbow discomfort as he was rehabbing from March 2020 Tommy John surgery.

The New York Mets pitcher revealed Thursday night that doctors advised him not to throw his slider for the rest of the year because perhaps the torque on his elbow from that pitch caused his setback. So on his own, he has scrapped his curveball for now, too.