Matt Harvey woke up Friday morning, turned the page on his calendar and realized one thing.
It was Aug. 1.
August had always been the month floated when Harvey, barring any setbacks with his surgically repaired right elbow, would be permitted to throw off a mound.
So after he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and realized July was just a memory, Harvey figured, why wait?
“Me being excited, I said, ‘Here we go. Let’s do it,’ ” Harvey said before the Mets’ 5-1 loss to the Giants at Citi Field.
A little more than nine months after Tommy John surgery, the 25-year-old right-hander threw 20 pitches from the slope of the bullpen mound Friday afternoon at Citi Field, reported no problems and effectively started the clock on his return to the major leagues.
The Mets don’t see that happening until 2015. Harvey, as he has all along, has other ideas.
“I think we’ve said all along it’s unlikely he’ll pitch for us this season,” said general manager Sandy Alderson.
“We’re not counting on anything out of Matt,” said manager Terry Collins.
A short while later, a hopeful Harvey spoke about contributing this season.
“I’m not writing 2014 off,” he said. “But there’s still a long way to go and a lot to prove in order to be healthy enough to come back. I think today was a big step, a big confidence boost for what’s ahead and I’m excited about the process going forward.
“If I work up to a couple of innings towards the middle of September, the end of September, you never know. Obviously I can’t make that decision. But if I’m throwing it pretty well in September and we do have that opportunity, hopefully I can push the decision a little bit.”
So while Alderson spoke about the possibility of a Harvey throwing in the instructional league and perhaps a cameo at the Arizona Fall League, the pitcher was fixated on meaningful games in September and perhaps beyond. Granted, it will be up to his teammates to make that even a remote possibility, but Harvey isn’t dismissing the notion.
After saying Friday’s abbreviated bullpen session had him feeling “like I never left,” Harvey will head to Port St. Lucie, Fla., next week where, Alderson said, his throwing program will begin “in earnest” on Tuesday.
Winter ball, the GM said, is “not in the plan,” let alone critical September games or a major league postseason.
“He’ll throw through the end of September, maybe into the first week of October and shut it down,” Alderson said. “That’s pretty much what we have in mind.”
That “we,” of course, clearly does not include Harvey.
“The way we’re playing now is exciting,” the pitcher said. “Obviously, the hope and the idea is to make a playoff push and, hopefully, in the next few months I can get ready for game action and see what happens.
“I’m excited I get to throw off a mound every couple of days and face some hitters pretty soon. It’s an exciting time.”
Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since last Saturday with right elbow inflammation, did some throwing in the outfield before the game and said he had no discomfort.
“I could have pitched through it,” the right-hander said. “But having experienced Tommy John surgery [in 2011] I took the safe route and gave it some time. Today I felt a lot better and I think we made the right decision.”
Matsuzaka said he threw from 60-75 feet and would increase that distance today. He added he probably will begin throwing off a mound next week.