Dark Knight rises — and falls
Matt Harvey’s time in Queens has been nothing if not headline-worthy, both on and off the field. Here’s a look at the highlights and lowlights of his time with the Mets: July 26, 2012: Harvey makes his MLB debut in Arizona and pitches 5 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks. He strikes out 11.
May 20, 2013: Sports Illustrated puts Harvey on the cover, dubbing him ‘The Dark Knight of Gotham.’
July 16, 2013: Harvey starts the All-Star Game at Citi Field for the National League and throws two shutout innings, fanning three.
Aug. 26, 2013: Diagnosed with a partial UCL tear in his right elbow, Harvey lands on the disabled list and winds up having Tommy John surgery on Oct. 22.
March 8, 2014: Despite the likelihood Harvey would miss the entire 2014 season, Harvey tweets — and then deletes: “2014 Harvey Day will happen.”
March 19, 2014: Harvey says he wants to rehab from elbow surgery with the team and not in Port St. Lucie, where most long-term rehabs are done with the Mets. April 22, 2014: Harvey celebrates the six-month anniversary of his Tommy John surgery by posting — and then deleting — a picture from his hospital bed of him either pre- or post-procedure, flipping the middle finger to the camera. April 9, 2015: Harvey returns from rehab after missing the 2014 season.
July 4, 2015: In an effort to limit innings, the Mets had gone to a six-man rotation, but after a lackluster outing, Harvey blamed the atypical setup for some of his troubles. Collins says he has to “get over it.”
Sept. 5, 2015: As the Mets head toward the playoffs, Harvey and his agent, Scott Boras, announce that the right-hander had been told by doctors he should be capped at 180 innings. The Mets counter by saying the postseason innings shouldn’t count against the cap. Harvey ends up pitching in the NLDS, NLCS and World Series. Oct. 6, 2015: Harvey misses a mandatory workout before the playoffs, saying he was stuck in traffic. When he called the team to alert them he would be delayed, he was told not to come to the park. The next day he admitted he messed up, but was not disciplined.
Nov. 1, 2015: After pitching eight brilliant innings against the Royals in Game 5 of the World Series, Harvey convinces Terry Collins to let him go out for the ninth with a 2-0 lead. Harvey surrenders a walk and a double before being pulled in a game the Mets lost, giving Kansas City the title.
July 18, 2016: Harvey, who had struggled for much of the season, undergoes surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome, some two weeks after going on the DL. He has a rib removed to alleviate pressure in his shoulder. He misses the rest of the season and returns in time for spring training.
May 7, 2017: On the day he is supposed to start against the Marlins, the team announces it has suspended Harvey for three games for a violation of team rules. Sources said he didn’t show up for Saturday’s game against the Marlins. Harvey reportedly counters by considering filing a grievance againstteam.the