Mets suspend Harvey three days for violating team rules

NEW YORK — Mets star pitcher Matt Harvey was suspended three days by the team on Sunday for an undisclosed violation of team rules, the latest hiccup for a club beset by problems on and off the field this season.

General manager Sandy Alderson announced the suspension in a brief statement before the game, shortly before Harvey was scheduled to start against Miami. Alderson said the right-hander had been sent home, but declined further comment.

Left-hander Adam Wilk was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to face the Marlins. In his first big league game since 2015, the lefty was hit hard, giving up six runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

The Mets said Harvey’s suspension was effective Saturday. Manager Terry Collins held a closeddoor meeting with his team before the game to talk about the penalty.

“We are going to keep it in house, the way it’s supposed to be,” Collins said. “We hope to put it behind us and move forward.”

The suspension removed Harvey from the 25-man roster. The Mets transferred Noah Syndergaard to the 60-day disabled list to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Wilk. The Mets also claimed lefty Tommy Milone off waivers from Milwaukee — he was 1-0 with one save and a 6.43 ERA.

Collins indicated that he was aware that a suspension could be on the horizon for Harvey.

“There were some moves made last night because we felt this might occur,” he said.

In his first season after having a rib removed to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, the 28-year-old Harvey has struggled to a 2-2 record with a 5.14 ERA over 35 innings. Harvey is coming off two of the worst starts of his career, allowing 12 runs over 9 2/3 innings with eight walks in a pair of losses to Atlanta.

He missed the 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Harvey’s best season was in 2015, when he went 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA. But that year, in his first post-season, he missed a mandatory workout the day before the NL East champion Mets travelled to Los Angeles for their playoff opener against the Dodgers. He apologized for his late arrival, for which he was fined. Harvey offered no public explanation for his tardiness, saying he simply “screwed up.”