The 2016 season has been a struggle so far for Matt Harvey. Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey, after another rough outing, may be facing an early exit from the team’s starting rotation.
Harvey’s ERA ballooned to 6.08 after he allowed five runs on eight hits — including three home runs — and two walks in five innings in the Mets’ 7-4 loss to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday night.
Harvey (3-7) refused to speak to the media after the game.
Mets manager Terry Collins did not commit that the 27-year-old former ace would make his next start.
“Right now we’ve got to think what’s not just best for Matt, but what’s best for us moving forward at the moment,” Collins said after the game. “There’s a lot of things to consider. That’s why we’re not going to make any rash judgments (Tuesday night). We’re going to sleep on it and talk about it (Wednesday).”
Harvey had convinced Collins to make Tuesday’s start, despite allowing a career-high nine runs in a career-low 2 2/3 innings against the Nationals last Thursday at Citi Field.
“I’m really surprised,” Collins said. “This guy is too good. He’s just way too good to continue like this.”
Collins believes Harvey’s body has not recovered from pitching a career-high 216 innings in 2015, his first season back after 2013 Tommy John surgery. Harvey was 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA in 29 starts in the 2015 regular season and 2-0 with a 3.04 ERA in four postseason starts.
“Again. I am going to stand by the fact, this guy is going (go through) a period of time where he has to let that body recuperate from what he did last year,” Collins said. “When it finally does, he’ll be back.”
