In a stunning turn of events, Mets pitcher Matt Harvey is basically asking to be shut down at the 180 innings limit.
New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey has always been known as a player who wants to be on the mound no matter what. He rehabbed as much as he could to get back to pitching after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the latter part of 2013 and thought he could return in less than a year.
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Well, after Harvey returned to action earlier this season, an innings limit of 180 was supposedly put in place for him. It went months without being talked about until his agent, Scott Boras, said Harvey needs to be shut down at the 180 mark.
Then, after days of speculation, Harvey finally spoke out about the situation, and what he said might surprise you.
Matt Harvey tells reporters that he's always considered 180 IP a limit, and won't answer questions about the playoffs. Can't believe this.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 5, 2015
Matt Harvey says he's focused on Tuesday. Asked if he'd pitch in playoffs, said he's focused on Tuesday. Asked who makes call. Same answer.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) September 5, 2015
The reaction from Harvey is unbelievable. Comments like this have made his situation a distraction while the Mets are in the playoff hunt and seeking their first NL East crown since 2006. If the Mets weren’t in the playoff hunt, this wouldn’t nearly be such a large issue.
People will turn to the Stephen Strasburg situation from a years back as a comparison. The Washington Nationals shut him down and kept him out of the playoffs since he was on an innings limit in 2012. They would go on to lose in the NLDS to the St. Louis Cardinals that year.
The difference here is that the Mets have the pitching to make up for Harvey’s loss. Steven Matz, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon make for a formidable rotation heading into the postseason. While the first four have no playoff experience, they are talented enough to handle the pressure.
With this Harvey situation escalating, questions will arise if the Mets want to shop him since he’s been a distraction for them away from the field these past few years. New York may be crazy if it does trade him but if the guy doesn’t want to pitch, why put him out on the field?
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