Wild Knight leads to a new focus

MATT Harvey’s arm still isn’t in the right place, but his head could be.

Just over a month removed from the suspension he received for skipping a game, claiming he had migraines — he later admitted he had stayed out late the previous night and then played golf in the morning — Harvey at least seems refocused on his job.

Terry Collins, speaking to The Post on Monday, noted the right-hander is either the first player arriving to the ballpark each day or among the first.

Another club official added: “[Harvey] has been regimented. He has been solid.”

That approach is appreciated by the organization as Harvey tries to regain respectability — never mind elite status — as a starting pitcher. He’s nowhere near that level as he awaits his Wednesday start against the Cubs. Harvey will bring a 4-3 record with a 5.02 ERA into that game.

For his part, Harvey says he had been arriving early to the ballpark for most of the season, until going AWOL on May 6. Upon arriving to Citi Field the following day, believing he was going to start against the Marlins, he was told he had been suspended for three games.

“Everybody makes mistakes,” Harvey said as he departed the field following batting practice Monday. “I made a big mistake. I had been [arriving early] all year, and then obviously that happened. I slipped up and it’s not something I’m proud of, but I think it’s definitely changed me as far as how I come to the ballpark now and handle myself off the field and on the field and around the clubhouse and work ethic.”

In his return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, Harvey has swung like a pendulum. He appeared to have finally jumpstarted his season on Memorial Day weekend in Pittsburgh, where he allowed one run over six innings. But less than a week later, the Pirates torched him for six runs before he rebounded with five shutout innings in Atlanta on Friday — albeit on a night the Mets could have used six or seven innings from him.

Along the way, Harvey — minus a rib and some muscles near his neck from the surgery — has received a rude awakening.

“I knew it was going to be a process, but I didn’t think it was going to be this hard,” Harvey said. “I knew it was going to be an up-and-down season, but I never want to look at it that way. I never want to expect failure. It’s been rough.”

For Harvey, that qualifies as a major admission. The fact he rebounded from Tommy John surgery and returned to resemble the old Dark Knight made it easy for him to believe with enough perseverance the results would again follow. But thoracic outlet syndrome is a different beast.

Few pitchers have returned from surgery for TOS and pitched at a high level.

Harvey realizes this and understands the physical aspect of his 2017 season is largely beyond his control. The mental and emotional aspect, which includes showing up and working hard, is another matter altogether.

“I think in everything throughout your life you have your ups and downs and you have to learn from mistakes,” Harvey said. “And I feel I have done that to the best of my potential.”