The most controversial news in the MLB this week has surrounded New York Mets starter Matt Harvey. It all began with his agent, Scott Boras, telling the media that Harvey is not permitted to exceed 180 innings this season due to the suggestions of medical professionals.
Mets' general manager Sandy Alderson said that there was never a concrete limit and that the 180 innings was a soft cap, considering he told the media in the offseason that Harvey could pitch up to 200 innings if the team made the postseason.
However, Harvey disclosed to the media on Saturday that Dr. James Andrews - the surgeon who performed his Tommy John surgery - told him he'd have a limit of 180 innings this season, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. He also dodged questions about his status for the postseason.
Here are some tweets from reporters documenting the media session:
Matt Harvey tells reporters that he's always considered 180 IP a limit, and won't answer questions about the playoffs. Can't believe this.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 5, 2015
Harvey: "I'm the type of person I never want to put the ball down. I hired Scott, my agent, and went with Dr. Andrews, my surgeon b/c..."
— Matt Ehalt (@MattEhalt) September 5, 2015
Continued: I trusted them to keep my career going and keep me healthy."
— Matt Ehalt (@MattEhalt) September 5, 2015
But now, after all the controversy and criticism of the Mets' star - for which a few columnists suggested the team trade him and even referred to the right-hander as a quitter if he actually was going to abide by this debated innings limit - Harvey has reassured fans that he will pitch if the team makes the playoffs.
"As an athlete, when your surgeon explains to you the risks of exceeding a certain number of innings, it can be alarming. You listen," Harvey wrote earlier today, via the Players Tribune. "I love to play baseball and I love winning even more. I would not give that up for anything. I also know I want to be able to play and win for a long time. But there has never been a doubt in my mind: I will pitch in the playoffs. I will be healthy, active and ready to go."
"I am communicating with my agent, my doctor, Sandy and the entire Mets organization. I can assure everyone that we're all on the same page.
"Together, we are coming up with a plan to reach an innings limit during the season. It will be a compromise between the doctors and the Mets organization to get me, and the team, to where we need to be for our postseason run."
We wrote on Friday that this could very well be a strategy for Boras and Harvey to earn a lucrative contract extension from the Mets before he pitches in the postseason. At this point, it's unclear if that's at all the case, but what has happened thus far has been bizarre enough and nothing can really be overlooked.
Harvey has seemingly flip-flopped on his stance regarding the issue after just one day, and it's almost incomprehensible how the Mets and Harvey would work around this innings limit for the regular season. If his limit is 180, then the right-hander can only pitch 13 2/3 more innings, which is good enough for about two starts.
The Mets have 26 games left and plan to skip at least one of Harvey's starts, which means he'll likely take the mound three more times. How the two sides will arrive at a compromise that would allow Harvey to last the rest of the regular season plus the postseason is beyond everybody at this point.
Nonetheless, Harvey said he will be on the mound if the Mets play beyond Oct. 4.
But anyway, can someone get Dr. James Andrews on the phone?
