Matt Harvey's optimism is quite inspiring. Last season he suffered a tear in his UCL ligament, which required Tommy John surgery and forced him to miss the entire 2014 season, but Harvey is hopeful about his chances of pitching in September.
The Mets All-Star suffered the injury last August, but instead of immediately opting to undergo Tommy John surgery, he tried rehabilitating his arm to avoid missing the entire 2014 season. Unfortunately, Harvey's wishful thinking didn't go as planned and he ultimately opted for the surgery in October. On Friday, the Mets starter revisited the mound to participate in a throwing program and get back on track.
As scheduled following the procedure, Harvey stepped on the mound and threw between 15-20 pitches at approximately 60 percent. He and Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen focused on Harvey's mechanics for the duration of the session, prepping him for a low-intensity simulated environment by the time September rolls around. But Harvey's optimism has taken over yet again and he's thinking ahead to October.
"If I work up to a couple of innings towards the middle of September and end of September, you never know," he said in this Star-Ledger article. "Obviously, I can't make that decision but if I'm throwing it pretty well in September and we do have that opportunity, hopefully I can push the decision a little more."
"Hopefully the guys will hold it together up here, and I'll come see them in October," he added in this ESPN article.
He'll spend the next two months in Florida and participate in the rehab plan he agreed to prior to the start of the season. According to Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, Harvey will continue his pitching program until the first week of October and then he'll be shut down until spring training. But if Harvey's wishful thinking comes to fruition and the Mets make the playoffs, he's going to want to pitch. However, the Mets will continue to be prudent with Harvey's recovery process as they're going to need him next season if they want to have a shot at making the postseason.
You can read more about Harvey's recovery process in this CBSSports article.
