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Mets' Matt Harvey To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mets pitcher Matt Harvey will miss the rest of the regular season after electing to undergo surgery to address symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, his agent, Scott Boras, said Friday.

Harvey could have opted for nonsurgical treatments, but general manager Sandy Alderson said Thursday those would only have helped the problem temporarily and that surgery was likely inevitable. The recovery time from the operation is three to four months.

Harvey was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with what the team described as discomfort in his elbow.

According to the Mayo Clinic, thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of disorders that occur when the blood vessels or nerves between the collarbone and rib are compressed, causing pain in the shoulders and neck and numbness in the fingers.

Dr. Robert Thompson is expected to perform the surgery next week in St. Louis. Thompson will remove one of Harvey's ribs to provide space and reduce compression on the affected nerve, ESPN reported.

Harvey posted on Twitter that he is "extremely disappointed to learn that I'll be out for the season, but I'm relieved to have answers and get back to doing what I love."

Manager Terry Collins said Harvey informed him of the issue following his last start, July 4 against Miami.

"He said his arm just felt like it was dead," Collins said Thursday. "Obviously, immediately we took him to the doctor. And any time you're recommended to go see a specialist in a certain area, that for me sends up a red flag."

Collins said Friday that Logan Verrett will likely take Harvey's spot in the rotation.

Harvey, who underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2013, returned strong last season, leading the Mets to the World Series. But this season he has mostly struggled and is 4-10 with a 4.86 ERA.

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