Harvey has made no secret of the fact that he hopes to pitch in 2014, although Mets brass has been far less receptive to the idea. Last night, Harvey explained that he was told her could resume throwing four months after his surgery, which would be the 22nd. Harvey went on to comment:
“They said I should be able to start throwing four months after the
surgery and that’s
Feb. 22, and I haven’t had any setbacks. I can’t wait. Even if it’s
10 feet, I just want to
pick up a ball. As if right now, I don’t see
why I wouldn’t be able to do that.”
The Mets' ace also made the following case for appearing at the major league level before this season comes to a close:
“I haven’t touched a baseball yet so I don’t know how things are going
to go once that
happens, but if things are still
progressing and it shows I’m ready to go and I get cleared,
I want to be
able to play. If I get to throw a couple of innings in August or September and
then
have a normal offseason without having to go into next year with all
those
questions still out there, that would help me significantly. I’d love to face hitters to
build my confidence up back up
and not just jump into a new season having not seen anyone."
Harvey later goes on to explain that he would prefer not to pitch in the Fall League, but he admit that ultimately it isn't his decision. Harvey has always been outspoken. Expect him to take just about any opportunity to reinforce his desire to pitch this season. That's perfectly fine. Matt is a competitor and that drive has made him the pitcher he is today. However, as we've said here before, there isn't a single scenario that should see him throw for the Mets this season. Take the time to rest and recover. Matt Harvey is too important to the team's future to jeopardize his career for a few innings this September.
I really don't see any reason for him to pitch this year, even if it's only in say september. Why risk it? We won't be even near a wild card this year
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