Palladino: Matt Harvey Needs To Step Away From 2016 And Have TOS Surgery
By Ernie Palladino
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Matt Harvey's longest day's journey into night may have come to an end Thursday when noted vascular surgeon Dr. Robert Thompson determined the pitcher had symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), as the Mets had suspected for a while.
Now it's up to him as to whether to have an operation to correct the issue.
MORE: Alderson: Mets' Harvey Weighing Season-Ending Surgery
And while he contemplates his situation -- he should get it fixed immediately -- the Mets must determine how they'll proceed with a right-handed firebrand who now weighs the pros and cons of a second season-ending surgery in three years.
General manager Sandy Alderson, who broke the news to the media before Thursday's series opener against the Nationals, noted that several options are available to Harvey, including a nerve-blocking injection that would at least temporarily relieve the dead-arm symptoms caused by the buildup of scar tissue pressing on a shoulder nerve. But Alderson cautioned that's only a temporary -- and uncertain -- fix, and that surgery would eventually be necessary.
So it becomes a case of whether Harvey decides to sacrifice the rest of the season to the procedure's three-to-four-month rehab and be ready to mount a second comeback in 2017, or come back to a season that he can already chalk up as a personal loss, considering his 4-10, 4.86 record.
On the Mets' end, the situation is slightly simpler in the short term, and a lot more complicated in the long term.
For now, fans can expect to see a full diet of spot starter Logan Verrett who, honestly, probably can't do any worse than Harvey, who leads the NL in losses. Harvey hadn't won since May 30 in a sterling flash to his vintage self against the White Sox. In that 1-0 win, he threw seven innings of shutout ball.
Since then, he's gone 0-3, 3.90, though most of that came in his 3 2/3-inning, six-run (five earned) July 4 shellacking that became merely a sad footnote thanks to the offense's furious comeback against the Marlins.
It gets more complex looking ahead. Harvey is on a one-year deal for $4.33 million, so the Mets will either negotiate a new deal for him next season, possibly at an even lower price that would definitely tick off the proud Harvey, or head into what could be a nasty arbitration.
Either way, the millions Harvey started to see fly out the window with his disastrous first half will definitively disappear if he doesn't give himself a chance to finish out the season strong.
That means he opts for the temporary fix.
MORE: Keidel: Harvey's Disastrous Season Takes Another Dark Turn
Also, there's no guarantee the surgery works. This one is a rather grisly business that involves removal of one of the top ribs as well as some muscle and scar tissue. It can be successful, as evidenced by former Mets pitcher Chris Young's resurgence following a similar procedure for TOS. But it's still a gamble.
As the situation stands now, even a temporary fix would take Harvey out of any trade talks, so remove any thoughts of dealing him for more offense. He's damaged goods.
Meanwhile, manager Terry Collins can only watch his hair turn grayer as he contemplates which well of misery will spring the next catastrophe. He has now watched Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz battle through bone spurs, and now has seen his one-time ace faced with yet another career-altering situation.
The only positive -- and it's a small one -- is that Harvey now gets to step away from a season gone bad. On the small chance he does return this year, he'll have the time to get away from the noise -- the constant questions about what has gone wrong, the tinkering of arm slots, the debate over the role his 216 innings a year after Tommy John surgery played in this mess.
He gets the peace either way. And the finances will work themselves out either way.
If he's smart, if he can tamp down the competitive juices that could steer him in the wrong direction, Harvey will opt for the surgery.
He needs to give up on 2016, roll the dice and hope he can stage another 2015-like comeback in a full, hopefully healthy, 2017. He'll probably need the operation at some point anyway. So better to do it sooner than later.
This season was lost to him anyway.
Best to step away now, and hope for the best next year.
As for the Mets, they await the August return of fellow Tommy John comebacker Zack Wheeler with more anticipation than ever.
It's quite a mess all around.
Follow Ernie on Twitter at @ErniePalladino
