The Mets' right-hander was experiencing forearm tightness.
It might not be June 15, 1977, but today marks one of the darkest days in the history of the Mets franchise.
Mets ace Matt Harvey underwent an MRI this afternoon and it was revealed that he had a partial UCL tear in his right elbow. It's not year clear if he will need surgery, but UCL tears usually lead to Tommy John surgery. If Harvey does need Tommy John, he would miss the rest of the season, and likely all of 2014.
It was reported this morning that he had undergone an MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery for forearm tightness, which is usually a preclude to elbow injuries.
It's not exactly clear when the injury occurred and how. Some will point to the consistent pushing of Harvey late in games. Others, including SNY analyst Bob Ojeda, believe his slider usage—18.7% in 2013—played a significant role. Most likely, it's just the volatility of pitchers.
This is obviously devastating news for the Mets. Harvey had posted a 2.27 ERA and 2.62 xFIP in 178.1 innings with 191 strikeouts and 31 walks and was relied on to be a cog in the 2014 Mets.