Mets re-assign Syndergaard, Plawecki

Noah Syndergaard and Kevin Plawecki, the Mets' top two prospects and the pitcher and catcher in their battery of the future, were cut from Major League camp on Friday.

The pair headlines six of MLB.com's Top 100 prospects who were re-assigned. In addition to the 6-foot-6 right-hander (No. 11) and the 24-year-old backstop (No. 64), Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart (No. 19), Twins right-hander Alex Meyer (No. 30), Phillies infielder Maikel Franco (No. 56) and Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez saw their time in big league camp come to an end.

Syndergaard was supposed to start Saturday's Grapefruit League game but was scratched after he was struck on the left ankle by a ball while playing catch on Thursday. The Mets had him undergo X-rays but don't think the injury is serious.

"He's more or less fine," general manager Sandy Alderson told MLB.com.

In 7 1/3 innings this spring, the 2010 first-round pick (38th overall) yielded four runs on six hits and three walks with nine strikeouts.

"He just needs to go down and pitch the way he's capable of pitching and focus on the job at hand," Alderson said, "which is his role at [Triple-A] Las Vegas and not worry about what openings or opportunities may arise in New York.

"When they do, assuming he's focused on his own performance in Vegas, he'll get an opportunity. That's not to say he's first in line, second in line; I don't want to get into that. All he needs to do is go pitch the way he's capable of pitching."

In 20 Grapefruit League at-bats, Plawecki went 5-for-20 with a homer, two doubles and five RBIs. He scored three runs, struck out four times and drew a pair of walks. .

Swihart and Rodriguez were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket, the Red Sox announced. Both players were added to the club's 40-man roster during the offseason but have yet to make their Major League debuts.

Swihart has the potential to provide the perfect mix of offense and defense for years to come in Boston. He hit .293/.341/.489 with 13 homers in 110 games last season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket threw out 45.6 percent (31 of 68) would-be basestealers. Before being re-assigned, he was 7-for-18 (.389) with a homer, four RBIs and a walk in nine Greapefruit League games.

"Blake came in and wasn't just happy to be in big league camp, but he came in to compete," Red Sox manager John Farrell told MLB.com. "He knows he is getting closer to becoming a Major League player. When that time comes, who knows? And I think there are some areas that we recognized he has to continue to develop, and that's probably as much on the receiving side, some blocking. That's ongoing maintenance for any catcher. But I thought he showed well -- very well."

MLB.com gave him 60 (above-average) grades on his hit, arm and fielding tools heading into the season. Because of that potential, Swihart is the team's consensus "catcher of the future," even with defensive wizard Christian Vazquez holding down the fort for now.  

Instead, Swihart will be joined by Rodriguez (No. 90 overall) at Triple-A Pawtucket. The 21-year-old southpaw was acquired from the Orioles at last year's trade deadline in the deal that sent lefty reliever Andrew Miller to Baltimore. After posting a 4.79 ERA at Double-A Bowie, the Venezuela native went 3-1 with a 0.96 ERA and 39 strikeouts against eight walks over 37 1/3 innings at Double-A Portland. He made his Triple-A debut with Pawtucket in the International League playoffs and gave up two earned runs on six hits while fanning six in seven innings in his lone PawSox appearance.

Rodriguez made three appearances for the Red Sox this spring, yielding one run on five hits with nine strikeouts and no walks in 7 2/3 frames. Armed with a 65-grade fastball along with an above-average changeup and average slider, he's expected to continue his work as a starter, but there is a belief that his first trip to Fenway Park this summer could be as a high-quality reliever. Either way, he'll join a talented PawSox rotation that should include other left-handed prospects Henry Owens and Brian Johnson as well as right-hander Matt Barnes and veteran knuckleballer Steven Wright.

"In Eduardo's situation, we don't have the history we do with Blake, but he's a young, poised, extremely talented left-handed pitcher that has got a bright future," Farrell said. "There was one outing in particular in Bradenton where he didn't have his best stuff, and yet he didn't let the traffic [on the bases] or the challenge of the inning affect the body language and poise to make pitches. He's an impressive young guy."

Meyer, a 22-year-old right-hander, is the Twins' third-ranked prospect. He struggled with his control in three Grapefruit League appearances, allowing a run on four hits and seven walks while recording six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The 2011 first-round pick likely will return to Triple-A Rochester, where he was 7-7 with a 3.52 ERA in 27 starts last season.

Franco was hoping to parlay a strong second half at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season into a spot on the Phillies' Opening Day roster. But he hit .200 (6-for-30) with one RBI in 12 games this spring.

"Maikel's time will come," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told MLB.com. "I know he's upset because I know that he probably wanted to write a different script for himself, but the fact of the matter is just like any other young player who we feel is going to impact the Major Leagues, his time will come when it's time for him to come.

"I think there was probably some element of him trying to do a little too much, like he did last spring. But he doesn't need to impress us. He just needs to go play."

Kingham is Indy-bound: Earlier Friday, the Pirates announced that another talented pitching prospect will be headed to the International League as right-hander Nick Kingham was optioned to Indianapolis.

Kingham, MLB.com's No. 75 prospect, returns to the place where he made 14 starts a year ago and went 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 88 frames. Despite checking in at 6-foot-5, he isn't a stereotypical big power pitcher. Rather, with a career 2.6 BB/9, he's more of a finesse guy with only his fastball (60, touches the mid-90s) grading out above-average. Kingham didn't allow an earned run this spring, scattering three hits and a walk with three strikeouts over six innings.

The 2010 fourth-rounder will be joined by Pirates No. 2 prospect Jameson Taillon, who is coming back from 2014 Tommy John surgery, in the Indianapolis rotation.