Last season's ace will reportedly end the 2014 campaign without throwing a pitch against real competition.
No matter what the on-field Mets did in 2014, they were always overshadowed by updates on Matt Harvey's condition. The pitcher who captured the fan base's imagination in 2013 has so far had a smooth recovery from Tommy John surgery, but as far as management is concerned, Harvey is a distraction that needs to be controlled.
That mentality will probably be blamed for the news today that the Mets will shut down Harvey for the rest of 2014 after a few more bullpen sessions. He's reportedly not going to pitch in a major league game this season, no matter how badly the franchise could use the inevitable spike in attendance. In fact, according to the Daily News story, Harvey will not even be allowed to throw at 100 percent velocity until spring training in 2015.
Even if the Mets have been overly cautious with Harvey this season from a public relations standpoint, the team isn't wrong about him not wanting to go full throttle before the end of the season. There is still no guaranteed recovery from Tommy John surgery, and recently we've seen pitchers have to undergo a second procedure after suffering a setback.
As long as Harvey is ready for Opening Day 2015, no one is going to criticize the way the Mets handled him this season.