The New York Mets are on the verge of their first Postseason appearance since 2006, but they could conceivably be without ace Matt Harvey once October comes around. Harvey’s agent Scott Boras is insisting that Harvey’s doctors have stamped him with a limit of 180 innings this year, which is problematic considering it’s only September 4th and Harvey is already at 166 1/3 innings for the season.
From CBS’s Jon Heyman…
The Mets, Harvey and his agent Scott Boras are going to have to figure this out before too long, but so far they can’t even agree on who the disagreeing parties are. Mets GM Sandy Alderson contends he’s not going to let Boras determine Harvey’s innings; meanwhile, Boras says it’s not him but the doctors who are making the determination to limit Harvey to 180 innings, and the doctors are the ones the Mets have no choice but to abide by. If Harvey has just two starts left this year, it’s hard to see how much, if any, playoff impact he might have.
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Meantime, Alderson , who sounded exasperated by the whole debate, suggested he was floored when he received an email from Boras late last month setting what he saw as a new limit when he said the team has proceeded cautiously in terms of pitch limits (he’s had no games over 115 pitches and only went over 110 pitches once) and everything has been going so smoothly. “For a guy to say to us on the 29th of August “180 innings and then you’re going to shut him down … don’t call me seven months later and tell me you’re pulling the rug out from under me, not after all we’ve done to protect the player.”
Innings limit generally vary by the pitcher. Stephen Strasburg was limited in 2012 following Tommy John surgery in 2010, made 30 starts in 2013, 34 starts in 2014, and has made just 18 this year while dealing with an endless parade of injuries. The Nationals have won just three Postseason games since shutting him down early. His teammate Jordan Zimmermann was shut down in 2011, but has been a shining example of health since then. Adam Wainwright blew his elbow out before the 2011 season, and came back to make 35 starts in 2012, including three in the Postseason.
Harvey struggled at times in his one September start, allowing four runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings. However, he struck out nine, walked just one, and his velocity was sitting at 96 (and topped at 99) over the course of the start against the Phillies. In August, he allowed just one run over four starts and 27 innings, striking out 24 and walking two.
His performance clearly isn’t suffering, and as long as Harvey feels and looks alright, the Mets shouldn’t shut him down. A playoff rotation of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Bartolo Colon is a lot different than a rotation of deGrom, Syndergaard, and Harvey. Boras claims this isn’t about money, but it clearly is – Harvey will roll through arbitration for the first time this winter, and Boras would want Harvey’s arm to have less mileage on it so he can cash in when he hits free agency.
