While New York Mets fans (and the New York Mets organization) fear their ace Matt Harvey will have to undergo Tommy John surgery, the 24-year old right-hander seems to be a bit more optimistic about his chances to skip the procedure.
On Tuesday he tweeted:
Thank you everyone for the kind words and support. I may be done this year, but I will be back next year for April 1.
— Matt Harvey (@MattHarvey33) August 27, 2013
Harvey’s tweet comes a day after general manager Sandy Alderson said the team would have to wait at least two weeks to determine if the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear in Harvey’s right elbow will require surgery, according to ESPNNewYork.com. The Mets put their star pitcher on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday.
As for Harvey’s tweet Alderson said, “If that's his tweet, that's his tweet." When asked if there was an update on the young pitchers’ injury which prompted him to post the tweet, Alderson said, “Not to my knowledge.”
Prior to his injury, Harvey (9-5, 2.27 ERA, 191 strikeouts) was arguably the second-best pitcher in the National League behind Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (13-8, 1.72 ERA and 197).
If Harvey undergoes Tommy John Surgery there is a good chance he can get back to the level of pitching he displayed this season. A great example of this is St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainrwight. If not for Kershaw he would be the favorite for the Cy Young Award with a 15-7 record, 2.58 ERA and 182 strikeouts.
On the other hand, there is also the possibility Harvey could have issues after the surgery like Atlanta Braves pitcher Brandon Beachy (2-1, 4.50 ERA, 23 SO). Beachy recently headed back to the disabled list after returning from a season long hiatus in 2012 due to Tommy John surgery.
No matter what the young pitcher may think he will return it would be in the Mets’ best interest to patiently nurse him back to health—even if that means he isn’t back until April 1 of 2015.
