MATT STICKS HIS NECK OUT
Harvey says stiffness is reason for his slow spring fling
PORT ST. LUCIE — After eight months, Matt Harvey had waited long enough. So the Mets righthander, who is coming off surgery, tried to pitch through a stiff neck on Sunday.
Harvey confirmed he woke up with a stiff neck on Saturday and admitted that he still felt that tightness as he made his first game appearance since major surgery in July. “I am not going to make any excuses how/why it did,” Harvey said of the neck affecting his first appearance in eight months. “It was definitely there and pretty tight.” Terry Collins
thought about scratching Harvey Sunday morning, but he told the Mets manager that he could start. Collins said he noticed Harvey pitching with kinesio tape in the second inning, which tipped him off to the fact that Harvey was still bothered by the tightness in his neck.
Harvey, however, felt that he needed to get out there and continue working his way back.
“I know we have an off day tomorrow,” Harvey said of Tuesday’s break in the Mets’ spring training schedule. “I figured it would be not until probably my next start, until Friday, that I would go again. So I just wanted to stay on task and on schedule.”
Harvey said his arm felt good. He said the neck felt better but still “tight,”
Monday morning. He is getting heat and stimulation treatment and is taking muscle relaxers.
He expects to be ready for his next start on Friday against the Astros. “I should be good to go,” Harvey said. The Mets’ 2017 hopes depend on their young starting rotation, three members of which are coming off season-ending surgeries, to rebound from disappointing 2016 season. Jacob deGrom, who had surgery to move the ulnar nerve in his elbow, came out and answered the question of how he would return pretty promptly. DeGrom had a smoking fastball in his Grapefruit League debut Saturday.
Harvey’s spring debut Sunday was not as decisive, particularly in comparison to deGrom’s. The results were ugly but not necessarily alarming considering it was his first start since July 4. He gave up four runs on four hits, including a three-run home run, in 1.2 innings.
What was worth noting, however, was that Harvey’s velocity on his fastball was low. He topped out at 94 mph and sat around 92 mph. Scouts at the game said that it looked like Harvey was throwing across his body, dragging down his arm speed on his fastball.
Harvey said he is not concerned about the velocity, confirming he felt his delivery was a little out of line. Collins said the velocity was not a concern yet, but Mets officials had said earlier in camp that Harvey’s delivery looked smooth and his velocity seemed on par with his 2015 norm. His fastball averaged 96 mph and could touch 98-99 in 2015, his first season coming back from Tommy John surgery.
They were preaching patience after Sunday’s appearance.
“I don’t want him pumping it up to 97 right now,” a Mets source said. “He has time to ramp it up.”
Harvey is dealing with the relatively rare rehab from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The surgery removes a rib to allow for better circulation in the arm and relieve the condition, which compresses the blood flow and nerves from the shoulder to the arm. TOS forced older pitchers like Josh Beckett and Chris Carpenter into retirement. For Chris Young, however, having the surgery saved his career and allowed him to return win a World Series with the Royals over the Mets in 2015.
Harvey already made a successful return from 2013 Tommy John surgery and Sunday he talked about how the experience of two serious rehabs has changed him.
“After you’ve had two surgeries you want to do everything you can to stay on the field and I think I’ve definitely realized that I need to put a lot more effort in before you go out there and just throw and just run,” Harvey said. “You have to take care of your body better and I think that’s definitely changed from this year since last.”
But after eight months without being on a mound facing hitters with another uniform on, Harvey also wants to do everything he can to get back for the start of this season. Sunday, that meant trying to pitch with a stiff neck and working his way through.