Oft-injured Harvey set to be cast off

NEW YORK — The Mets said nighty-night to the Dark Knight.

Matt Harvey, once regarded as a premier pitcher who could join Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden among the Mets’ greats, refused a minor-league assignment and will be designated for assignment Saturday.

The 29-year-old right-hander, who was the seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft, lost his spot in the rotation last month after four starts, and he had a 10.50 ERA in four relief appearances.

“We’ve tried to find some other solution over a fairly long period of time,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said before Friday night’s game against the Rockies. “This was a long time coming. This is not someone who hasn’t pitched well recently.”

After Harvey is designated, the Mets have seven days to trade him or release him. Because of Harvey’s $5,625,000 salary, a trade may be difficult to work out unless the Mets agree to send cash as part of a deal.

Harvey is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in four starts and four relief appearances, leaving him with a 34-37 record and 3.66 ERA in six major-league seasons.

He started the All-Star Game at Citi Field in 2013 and was 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA when he tore an elbow ligament on Aug. 24, which led to Tommy John surgery on Oct. 22.

Harvey returned in 2015 and went 13-8 with a 2.27 ERA as the Mets reached the World Series for the first time since 2000. But he slumped to 4-10 with a 4.86 ERA the following year and had surgery in July to correct Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

He was 6-13 with a 6.70 ERA last season, when he was sidelined from mid-June until September because of a stress injury to his right scapula.