Mets' Matt Harvey says he has 180-inning limit, dodges playoff questions
Matt Harvey told reporters Saturday that he considers 180 innings to be his limit for the season.
Harvey, who has thrown 166 1/3 innings across 25 starts in 2015, also refused to answer questions regarding the playoffs and that he was focusing on his Tuesday start against the Nationals.
An unnamed Mets official assured ESPN New York's Adam Rubin that Harvey would pitch if New York reached the post-season. Rubin reported a “high degree of confidence” within the organization that Harvey would be able to pitch if the division-leading Mets indeed make the playoffs for the first time since 2006. New York sits five games ahead of Washington in the NL East.
Harvey's agent Scott Boras has been at odds with the Mets over the pitcher's usage, with the 180-inning limit being something the Mets consider “soft.” New York has been in touch with experts including Dr. James Andrews, who performed Tommy John surgery on Harvey in October 2013, and plans to continue using him.
"We've consulted with Matt all the way through. We will continue to do that," Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said Friday. "I don't think anything will change. ... I think we're very comfortable with the fact that we've had a plan. It has involved the doctors all the way through. To this point, they're still fine with that plan. We all think it's a reasonable way to go."
• MORE: Mets, Boras clashing over Harvey's innings
The Mets have experimented with different ways to keep Harvey fresh this season, including skipping starts as well as going to a six-man rotation – the latter a tactic that Harvey has expressed frustration at, having wanted to pitch on a more frequent basis.
FOX Sports's Ken Rosenthal theorized that Harvey, who returned this season from Tommy John surgery, may not be 100 percent healthy at the moment.
The 26-year-old Harvey has an 12–7 record, 2.60 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 158 strikeouts this season.
- Jeremy Woo
