The Mets think they found a flaw in the delivery of struggling right-hander Matt Harvey, whose command is suffering because his arm is pausing/stopping, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Mets assistant general manager John Ricco expressed confidence Friday that Harvey’s on the right track mechanically. In his latest start, a loss to the Nationals on Tuesday, Harvey struck out only one batter while allowing eight hits (including three home runs), five earned runs and two walks across five innings. The 27-year-old was one of baseball’s premier starters from 2012-15 (2.53 ERA, 9.46 K.9, 1.98 BB/9 over 427 innings), but the 2016 version has gone the opposite direction. Harvey’s 6.08 ERA through 53 1/3 frames ranks fourth worst among the league’s qualified starters, while his strikeouts have notably declined (7.43 K/9) and his walks have increased (2.87 BB/9).
More from the Big Apple:
- Michael Pineda, another righty amid a surprisingly subpar season, might not continue to have a spot in the Yankees’ rotation if his troubles continue. Pineda’s ERA ballooned to 6.92 Saturday after he gave up nine hits and six earned runs in a loss to the Rays, and pitching coach Larry Rothschild didn’t close the door on demoting him, per Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. “We’d like to get him through this but our eyes are open with what goes on,” he said. “To win games is the most important thing for the team. So, in jeopardy, I don’t know. But we realize what’s going on.” The decision will ultimately rest with general manager Brian Cashman, whom manager Joe Girardi and Rothschild speak with on a daily basis.
- Even if the Yankees do wish to use Pineda’s remaining option and send him to the minors, they’re not exactly overflowing with candidates to replace him, as George A. King III of the New York Post points out. The Bombers already had to demote the similarly disappointing Luis Severino, for whom they also had high hopes entering the season. For his part, Pineda doesn’t think his issues are related to health. “I feel strong. I feel good,” he said Saturday. Pineda’s velocity would seem to agree with that, and his K/9 currently sits at a career-best 9.96.
- It was previously unclear how much time Mets first baseman Lucas Duda would miss after landing on the disabled list Monday with a stress fracture in his back. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson clarified Saturday, telling reporters – including ESPN’s Adam Rubin (video link) – that Duda should be out in the four- to six-week range. Thanks to Duda’s injury, the Mets acquired fellow lefty-swinging veteran James Loney from San Diego on Saturday to help fill the void at first.
Anyone wanna discuss Thor?
He should have been ejected, my thoughts.
How often does someone get ejected on the first bean of the game?
Rather often.
Noah is a classless punk. He is more dirty then the close that chase utley had into second base.
Hey look at the Yankees fan mad his team has no talent.
Shame on the teams that lose to them then.
Yes…. Shame on the A’s.
I disagree. Not good by Utley going in head up, but Tejada turned his back causing it. That happened, it’s over. At least he didn’t hit him. If he did anything else, I’d toss Syndergaard, but I don’t know if he should have gotten thrown out that early.
I have no doubt that it was intentional. that being said, because he didn’t actually HIT Utley I think that the automatic ejection was a bit harsh. Utley had 5 previous at bats in the series (not to mention the LA series) and there was no sign of the Mets trying to retaliate. that doesn’t mean they didn’t want to, or that Thor wasn’t trying to throw it at him, I just think that the ejection was unprecedented because of that.
Oh since he missed him then its ok to throw at him??? Huh???
There is only one correct answer. Matt Bush wasn’t ejected for hitting Bautista. If he wasn’t ejected for retaliation from last years playoffs, neither should Syndergard have been.
I’m shocked that both Pineda and Severino have struggled so badly. What is going on up in the Bronx?
Pineda can’t finish guys off and Severino needs to develop an effective off-speed pitch. He throws everything hard so, now that the league has seen him, he isn’t fooling any body.
Also, Severino wasn’t demoted, as the author claimed. He is on the DL and is making a rehab start later today.
Phantom injury strikes again.
No need for a phantom injury. Severino has plenty of options. They can send him up and down at will.
Actually, Pineda has an option left, too. The problem is, due to many injuries they don’t have any major league ready talent in AAA.
I still think Severino will pull through this. He does need to develop an off speed pitch and work on a better slider or cutter. Otherwise he may end up being a disappointment
There was a heap of talk about how the Ump should have issued a warning before throwing Thor out.
In all honesty, there were likely warnings before this series started – no need for another one on the field. 99mph behind Utley was deliberate – and it was pretty dumb. Thor, and the Mets, need to just get on with playing baseball, and stop feeding their fans and media’s craving for drama.
The Mets come out of this looking a bit silly – Utley has stuck his head down and got on with business, while the other side looks caught up in the emotion.
Half of the people raining down boo’s on Utley this weekend, wouldn’t even be able to refer to Ruben Tejada by his name.
There weren’t any warnings before the game.
And if you think the Thor/Utley incident was for feeding frenzy – for drama – you’re sorely mistaken. It was a poignant message rich in baseball history that the young and inexperienced ump just didn’t understand and over reacted as perhaps you are too.
And regarding Utley, there’s a long history of dirty play that Mets fans have witnessed through the years. Tejada was the latest but the boos are deeper than that. New York is never drama starved. Drama for drama sake as you suggest, is way off the mark,
The issue however with Utley won’t be resolved – that umpire made sure of it on a pitch that never even hit Utley.
Instead, it eliminated the Mets ace from the game, changed the energy and outcome and that is what most stands out. Very different ballgame with ace in it, pitching 7.
Pretty sure the Dodgers won’t mind if the Mets still aren’t over it. Maybe next time, Terry Collins and the”upholders of baseball tradition” will send someone other than their ace to get some empty retribution. All they did was throw away a game they should have taken to the bank.
The headlines will fade, eventually.
Not everyone is of the same opinion as their Grandad.
It’s a shame, this fiasco distracts from what should be a well contested series.
The “message rich in baseball history” is a weak comment.
If it was so “rich” it would have been done in 1 of the previous 7, that’s correct, 7 game prior to last night. Just another example of the circus the mets organization is. Completely clueless
1, I don’t think he played after the slide the rest of the series, save a pinch hit maybe. 2, How can you expect them to do it on the road? 3, Therefore, it was really only waiting one game.
If the ump believes it was intentional, he should be thrown out of the game. No ifs, ands, or buts. Honestly, pitchers have to be thrown out more without any warnings issued
Warranted or not, hopefully other pitchers take note of this early ejection and they think twice about the non sense of hitting people and retaliation. Just play baseball.
Why have the warnings then?
Thor should have shown Utley up by striking him out a few times. Hitting Utley is fine. Throwing behind his head could kill him (what if he followed his natural reaction to step back ?) Be thankful he isn’t suspended. Utley sure let the Mets have it this weekend…
Also doesn’t change the fact the mets are a terrible hitting ball club wth a Minor league lineup. Noah could have went 7… Mets probably still wouldn’t have scored a run so not much of a different game.
Does anyone want Michael Pineda from the Yankees ? He has been a huge disappointment since he was traded from the Mariners.
We will take him back for a bag of balls. Maybe we should have reversed the trade and sent Montero back for him. They both seemed to do much better with their previous teams.
Thor was tame compared to Caminero and his dreadful control. Guy is gonna kill someone.