MLB

Mets rookie Harvey set to make home debut

After a disappointing outing his last start in San Diego, Matt Harvey is hoping for better results tonight when he makes his Citi Field debut against the Braves.

“I’ve moved forward,” Harvey said of his second straight loss, when he gave up five runs in five innings to the Padres. “I don’t think I used my fastball enough. Getting ahead is the biggest part of pitching and that’s gonna be my focus [tonight].”

Manager Terry Collins will be focusing on multiple aspects of Harvey’s game, including pitching in front of up to 100 family members and friends who are expected to show up for the Mystic, Conn., native.

“I’m very interested to see him pitch [tonight] with all that’s gone on,” Collins said of the rookie, who followed his dynamic major league debut — that featured 5 1/3 scoreless innings and 11 strikeouts — with a solid start in his second outing before running into trouble in San Diego.

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“There’s going to be a lot of buildup and I want to see how he handles it,” the manager said. “We’ve already had a conversation about the things he’s gotta get back to from the first start. We’ll see how he does.”

* Tim Byrdak will undergo anterior capsule surgery on his left shoulder, and though he hopes to be back at some point next year, he is aware his career may be over.

Nevertheless, he didn’t blame his uncertain future on how much he has been used.

“I’ve never played this game with any kind of regret,” said Byrdak, who has pitched in a league-high 56 games this season and was given the option of rehab, but decided to have the procedure.

Byrdak will meet with the team’s medical director, Dr. David Altchek, in the next day or two to set a date for surgery.

“It’s something I can’t avoid,’’ said Byrdak, who spoke with Johan Santana and Chris Young yesterday, both of whom underwent the same procedure. “If I want to come back at all next year, it’s got to be taken care of right away. It’s not going to be the easiest road back.”

Earlier in the week, Collins acknowledged the left-hander’s heavy workload contributed to the injury.

“There’s no question that we probably used him more than we should have, but we also wouldn’t be here without him,” Collins said.

Byrdak, 38, is 2-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 30 2/3 innings in his second season with the Mets.

* Ruben Tejada extended his hitting streak to 14 games.