HARV DAY’S NIGHT
Another struggle for Matt when Mets really need wins
ATLANTA − Matt Harvey has to be patient, but how much longer can the Mets be patient with the rest of their current pitching staff? The righthander is coming back from major surgery removing a rib to address the circulation issues in his hand. So his struggles are not all that surprising, but the Mets’ pitching problems are bigger than just one pitcher working his way back.
Tuesday night, Harvey gave up six runs in less than six innings of work in the Mets’ 9-7 loss to the Braves at SunTrust Park. For Harvey and those who have been watching him this spring, it was progress.
The Mets, however, need results from their rotation. The loss was their 12th in the last 16 games and their slow start is turning into real concern.
Noah Syndergaard went on the disabled list Monday with a torn right lat muscle, and will likely miss a couple months. Lefty Steven Matz, who has a mysterious elbow issue, and righthander Seth Lugo, who is trying to avoid Tommy John surgery with a throwing and rehab program, are still weeks away from returning from the DL. The Mets bullpen gave up three more runs Tuesday night.
So watching Harvey go out and work on his mechanics, is yet another reminder that the Mets need to make a move to help their pitching sooner rather than later. For Harvey, Tuesday night was another step forward. He said it was the best he has felt this year; The ball was coming out of his hand well and he had the velocity he needed.
“Obviously we win last night and we get a two-run lead in the first I want to go out there and do everything I can to keep them off the board,” Harvey said. “Regardless of mechanics or whatnot, my job is to get people out.”
That is what Harvey had a hard time doing and it’s what the Mets need.
He allowed six runs on eight hits. He walked three and struck out two. The first-inning home run he gave up to Freddie Freeman was the seventh he’s allowed this season in six starts. In his last two starts, both to the Braves, he has allowed 12 earned runs over 9.1 innings pitched.
After giving up back-to-back, one-out singles to Dansby Swanson and Emilio Bonifacio in the sixth, Harvey was pulled and the bullpen came in and did more damage.
The Mets knew that Harvey was going to be a work in progress this season.
“This is a guy who did not pitch very much last year. He’s coming back from surgery that not a lot of guys have ever come back from to be 100% again,” Terry Collins said. “Especially when you have lost feeling in your fingers, you’ve got to regain the release point and the feel of the seams.
“I don’t think there is any given studies it’s going to happen in six months, eight months,” the Mets manager said. “That’s what I am seeing from the side. Today he was throwing 95-97, his velocity was good. I checked with the Trackman stuff, spin rates were OK, but he’s got to get his command back.”
Compared to the Tommy John surgery Harvey fought his way back from in 2014, there isn’t much to compare a comeback from surgery to address the circulation issues that came with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The condition, which compresses the blood flow and nerves from the shoulder to the arm, 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 and win a World Series with the Royals over the Mets in 2015.
Harvey struggled with the feeling in his fingers last season before he was shut down after a July 4, 2016 start. He had surgery later that month, removing the top rib on his right side to allow for better circulation to his hand.
Pitching coach Dan Warthen has preached patience with Harvey all spring. When the righthander’s velocity was lagging in spring training, Warthen said that based on some of his research, he didn’t expect Harvey to be back to 100% until 10 months after the surgery. That would be the end of this month. The Mets are going to have to wait for Harvey to figure it out, but they can’t wait that long to get more help for this pitching staff.