The New York Mets organization received some bad news Monday when the club learned that 2013 National League All-Star starting pitcher Matt Harvey partially tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. Harvey - a 24-year-old ace who burst onto the scene this year - is expected to miss the remainder of the season while hoping he does not have to undergo Tommy John surgery, a ligament-replacement surgery many ballplayers have received in years past. Though surgery is not the ideal plan, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson is aware that monitoring the situation will be the best way for Harvey and the team to make the best possible decision.
"Doctors will always tell you that if you could avoid surgery you should," Alderson said to ESPN reporters Monday. "However, we have had situations in the past -- not just here, but across baseball, where the conservative approach doesn't work, and what you end up with is a loss of time and therefore a delay in recovery. This all has to be taken into account. We're all aware of what a delay might cause, and so we will be monitoring the situation. And I'm sure Matt will be making a decision in conjunction with us that takes that into account."
If the rising star does need the Tommy John procedure, required recovery time is usually around 12 months and there would be a chance that Harvey could miss the entire 2014 campaign if he goes under the knife.
The former University of North Carolina standout is 9-5 this season with a 2.27 ERA and 191 strikeouts. Currently ranked second in the MLB in ERA and fourth in strikeouts, the righty said he was stunned by the result of the MRI, especially since he didn't feel any pain after struggling against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Despite the tough news, Harvey is not blind to the fact that surgery may be the only option down the road.
"When I heard the news I was pretty shocked,'' Harvey said to USA Today. "I'm still very optimistic. I'm going to do everything I can so I don't have to get surgery, whether it is strengthening areas in my shoulder and elbow, a lot of stretching and making sure I stay out of the doctor's office."
"I know the studies and the history of this kind of injury usually leads to having the surgery,'' he continued. "But everybody's different. You never know if there's a slight fray of the ligament, how long it can last. I'm going to prepare to the best of my ability and just get ready for next season."
With Harvey on the shelf for the remainder of the season and possibly beyond, the Mets organization announced that a definitive decision on whether or not Matt Harvey will proceed with surgery will be made at a later date.
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