Call it the blister heard around New York.
When word got out that new New York Mets golden boy Matt Harvey may miss a start due to a blister, the Mets held their collective breaths and hoped for the best because without Harvey, New York Mets Tickets may have a problem being moved.
But last night manager Terry Collins downplayed the concern.
“His finger looked tremendous,” Collins said. “I’m very, very happy with what the results after he had it worked on (Monday) night and (Tuesday). He’ll be fine.”
Even more so, the Mets want and may even need Harvey to showcase himself on Tuesday at the All-Star game where the Citi Field Seating Chart will be filled to capacity, so therefore, they may just skip him on Saturday to have him well rested for the All-Star Game.
With his 7-2 record and 2.35 ERA, Harvey is considered the favorite to start the game, although NL Manager Bruce Bochy isn’t saying who he is going to give the nod to.
“I know which way I’m leaning,” Bochy said Monday afternoon. “I’ll leave it at that. But this kid is having a special year and, I know, he’s from New York. All that’s been discussed. I’ll just leave it at that right now.”
Harvey, though, doesn’t seem concerned.
“Whatever they decide is their call,” Harvey said. “I’ll prepare like I have a start.”
The Mets have struggled the fill their new ballpark over the last few seasons, but with a homegrown talent like Harvey, the club is hoping to go back to the days of Doc Gooden or even Pedro Martinez when he first signed in 2005, where the ballpark was filled to capacity and New York Ticket Brokers had bonanzas when the aces pitched.
Highlighting Harvey on Tuesday may move the Mets into that direction.
Even if the Mets decide to let him pitch on Saturday, Harvey will have short leash on him, with a pitch count kept way down, so he can pitch on Tuesday.
He threw a career high 121 pitches Monday night, and there is a growing concern with 130 innings under his belt so far. The Mets are looking to keep their ace fresh in the second half, and also not have him shut down in September.
Last season he threw 169.1 innings between the majors and minors and this season the Mets probably not going to allow their ace more than 220 innings.
“[Pitching Coach] Dan [Warthen] and I are talking about trying to figure out how to start to cut this guy back a little bit,” Collins said. “We’ll have to decide what happens on Saturday.”
If Harvey is skipped the Mets will probably tap Carlos Torres to make the spot start.
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