PORT ST. LUCIE — Make no mistake, in his own mind Matt Harvey still believes he will pitch in 2014 for the Mets. He is just not tweeting it. And Sunday, the Mets told Harvey they do not want him doing individual interviews at this juncture of the comeback game.
A team spokesperson said for the time being, Harvey only will do “group interviews’’ simply because the team wants to temper expectations and Harvey’s rehab program remains the same for the time being, four days a week of making 20 throws at 60 feet.
“We’re looking to have him ready to go for 2015,’’ general manager Sandy Alderson told the Post Sunday. “There is no looking to have him ready for ’14.’’
Alderson is sticking to his guns that the story of 2014 is not Matt Harvey, something he announced the first day he showed up to watch pre-camp in early February. If Harvey is somehow Super Rehab Man and makes an earlier recovery from October’s Tommy John surgery, the GM will take it, but in no way is he expecting it or pushing Harvey in that direction.
When I saw Harvey in the clubhouse Sunday I said to him, “So you’ve been shut down verbally, too.’’
He smiled and said, “Apparently.’’
It’s not easy to silence a strong personality.
In reference to a “Noah (Syndergaard) Day’’ tweet on Saturday, Harvey tweeted out: “2014 Harvey day will happen.’’
It was just his way to let the world know Harvey Day this season remains a strong possibility in his mind.
The tweet was later deleted.
Such tweets might be a form of motivation for Harvey. And that’s a good thing.
Tweets can be controlled. Injuries can’t. They happen. When they do, it takes so much energy for a player to come back from such a serious injury, and whatever works as motivation is a go in my book.
This was a bad day for the Braves because ace Kris Medlen took himself out of the game with two outs in the fourth with what was diagnosed as a right forearm strain. He will have an MRI Monday. As Medlen hopped off the mound and rushed to the clubhouse, in what would become an 8-2 Mets win over the Braves, you could sense despair in the air.
Medlen underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-August of 2010. The right-hander came back to make two appearances in 2011 in late September, totaling 2 ¹/₃ innings. Over his last 43 starts, he owns a 2.47 ERA.
And Sunday he had to leave the game after yanking a change-up. On the pitch before he left the game, a curve ball, Medlen grabbed his right elbow, scary stuff.
No matter how you play the comeback game, there are no guarantees.
That also was a gentle reminder to everyone what spring training is really about. The big thing is to avoid pitching injuries.
The Mets got great news Sunday when closer Bobby Parnell made his first appearance of the spring in the ninth and pitched a shutout inning with Mets fan New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie sitting in owner Fred Wilpon’s suite.
Zack Wheeler also came through his three innings healthy and that was another bonus. All pitchers know they can be one pitch from disaster. The Mets will cross their fingers Tuesday when Jon Niese (shoulder) takes the mound.
As Medlen came off, the first Met to come over to manager Terry Collins in the dugout was Matt Harvey.
“Matt said to me, ‘You think he felt it again?’ ” Collins said.
“I said, ‘No question about it, Matt.’ I would not be surprised if Matt doesn’t go over and say something to [Medlen].’’
“I felt terrible for him,’’ Collins added of Medlen, “because he is a great kid and for him to come back from Tommy John and pitch as well as he has the two years.’’
Injuries happen no matter what. Mets pitchers made it through the day healthy. It was a good day.