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Keidel: Harvey's Struggles Fuel Debate About Mets' Playoff Future

By Jason Keidel
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Adam Schein, self-styled "loud mouth" -- who was literally a co-host on a show of the same name -- may be deep on decibels but is also long on logic.

So it was surprising to hear him declare that the Mets aren't playoff contenders without a healthy or hearty Matt Harvey. The Mets are clearly diminished with a diminished Harvey. But the better question is, why is the Dark Knight clearly pitching without his renowned arsenal?

MORE: Palladino: Harvey's Mental State Goes Beyond Horrendous Numbers

Problem is we don't know if Harvey's ailment resides in his health, his heart or his head.

New York Mets v Colorado Rockies
Matt Harvey walks off the field scratching his head after being pulled from the game with two outs in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 13, 2016. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Is he still haunted by his World Series stumble? Is he spending too much time as Matt Harvey the pitchman and not the pitcher? Is he too worried about the next blonde and not the next batter?  Certainly, no one saw this coming, with Harvey booed off the mound on his home turf Thursday night.

Like many sports stars, Harvey thrives on his persona as much as his pitching. The Dark Knight avatar was supposed to represent more than a fastball. It was a hybrid emblem of his talent and his temerity, his hunger for the big moment.

There was no better distillation of this than in Game 5 of the World Series. When manager Terry Collins asked his star pitcher, who had shut down the potent Royals for eight innings, if he had three more outs in him. He assured his skipper that he did.

You know the rest of the night. What we don't know is the rest of the story. Did that night linger like some kind of emotional fog over his sun-swathed future? Did the man known for his "healthy" arrogance lose his mojo? Is there, in a final comic book metaphor, a crack in the superhero's mask?

There are as many theories and solutions as there are variables on a diamond. An SNY poll showed the public -- by a small margin -- thinks the best thing for Harvey is to skip a start, recharge his batteries, find himself, or fake an injury until he can. Writers and pundits seem equally split. If Harvey's manager and pitching coach have no answers, how would we know?

Then there are whispers that Harvey's hot bod has chilled. He's not in the same, GQ physique he had when he made his name. There are also questions about his nighttime appetites and whether he really rests between starts or sees Manhattan as another contest.

MORE: Mets Notes: Syndergaard Sizzles, Wrights Sets Record, More

Getting back to Schein's argument that the Mets won't sniff the playoffs sans Harvey, that's an unfair assertion. If Steven Matz keeps pitching like he did on Friday and as he has all season, the Mets still have three studs to lead their rotation, with a fourth, Zach Wheeler, expected back in July.

The Mets aren't hitting now, which makes the entire team look weak. Frankly, David Wright's woes feel more daunting than Harvey's, particularly when you consider the team captain's age, wage and wear on his body. But the club will start swinging again, eventually.

It would be nice, however, if we never have to determine if this loud mouth of Schein's is correct. The Mets, media and Gotham are all better with the Dark Knight at full strength.

Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel

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