After weeks of debate and consultation, Mets ace Matt Harvey has finally decided that he will in fact go under the knife for Tommy John surgery and will therefore miss the entire 2014 MLB season.
NEW YORK (AP):
…The 24-year-old right-hander will be operated on this month by Dr. James Andrews, the team said Friday. Projected recuperation for elbow ligament operations is about a year.
Harvey, the National League starter in the All-Star game, was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament on Aug. 26. He said at the time he wanted to try rehab and avoid surgery. The Mets said he did not plan to talk about his decision publicly until after the operation.
The No. 7 pick of the 2010 amateur draft, Harvey went 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA and 191 strikeouts in 178 1-3 innings this year. Since making his big league debut in July 2012, he is 12-10 with a 2.39 ERA and 261 strikeouts in 237 2-3 innings…
…Harvey spoke with Philadelphia pitcher Roy Halladay, who had a similar injury in 2006 but avoided surgery. Instead, he will follow the path of Washington ace Stephen Strasburg, who tore his ulnar collateral ligament in August 2010 and returned to the major leagues in September 2011.
”I believe if I can rehab, I’d rather bet on myself doing the work to stay out of getting surgery than having the surgery,” Harvey said on Sept. 18.
But the Mets remained skeptical that the tear would heal on its own.
And it hasn’t only been Strasburg, but Adam Wainwright, Jordan Zimmerman and Anibal Sanchez who are among the many active pitchers who have rebounded nicely from T.J. surgery. This is a smart and safe decision by Harvey, even though the Mets and fantasy owners will miss him greatly next season.
Be ready for Harvey to dominate once again come Spring of ’15.
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him @JHelmuth or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
