The rest and rehab approach did not work. Mets right-hander Matt Harvey will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the partially torn ligament in his elbow, the team announced. Dr. James Andrews will perform the procedure later this month.
Harvey, 24, was shut down in late August following a bout of forearm soreness. Tests revealed the partial tear. Since surgery would have sidelined him for all of 2014 anyway, the right-hander tried to rehab the injury first. Barring any setbacks, he should be able to return to the team for the start of 2015.
In 26 starts before the injury, Harvey went 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA (157 ERA+) and a 0.93 WHIP in 178 1/3 innings. He struck out 191 and walked only 31 (6.16 K/BB). Harvey was a legitimate Cy Young Award contender in his first full season before getting hurt.
Without their ace, the Mets will now build next season's rotation around Jon Niese, Zack Wheeler and Dillon Gee. They figure to be in the market for an innings eater or two this winter.
