The New York Mets got some terrible news Monday. Their star young ace Matt Harvey is headed to the disabled list with a torn UCL in his right elbow, according to ESPNNewYork.com.
Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Tommy John surgery has not been ruled out. However, the team will have to wait a few weeks before making a decision.
"Doctors will always tell you that if you could avoid surgery you should," Alderson said. "However, we have had situations in the past -- not just here, but across baseball -- where the conservative approach doesn't work, and what you end up with is a loss of time and therefore a delay in recovery. That all has to be taken into account. We're all aware of what [a] delay might cause, and so we will be monitoring the situation. And I'm sure Matt will be making a decision in conjunction with us that takes that into account."
Harvey mentioned feeling tired and having some discomfort after his start against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. He was taken for an MRI, at the behest of Dr. David Altchek, at which time the UCL tear was discovered.
For the previous two months, the Mets ace had been feeling tenderness in his forearm. However, he was receiving treatment for the injury.
"When you're talking about the term 'partial tear,' you're talking about 5 percent to 95 percent," Harvey’s agent Scott Boras said. "You have to get in and get the specifics and get more information medically before we can really make a determination as to what we're dealing with. There's a lot of swelling in there now. ... I've had situations with no surgery. I've had situations where the doctors recommended surgery."
The Mets will surely miss Harvey (9-5, 2.27 ERA, 191 Strikeouts). Prior to his injury he was dominating the majors in what is only his first full season. He would have challenged Clayton Kershaw for the National League strikeout crown (191-Harvey, 188-Kershaw).
If Harvey were to go under go Tommy John surgery, he would miss the entire 2014 season.
Right-hander Carlos Torres will take Harvey’s spot in the rotation.
