New York Mets ace pitcher Matt Harvey met with renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Monday to get a second opinion on his torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm and the Mets announced that they expect to have more information on Tuesday as to whether or not the 24-year-old will need Tommy John surgery, according to The Associated Press.
Harvey has been hoping to avoid reconstructive surgery on the ligament, which Mets medical director David Altchek diagnosed as a partial tear back on Aug. 26 leading to an announcement from the team that Harvey was being shut down for the remainder of the season. If Harvey ends up having to undergo the Tommy John procedure, it's expected that he will miss the entire 2014 season for the Mets.
Harvey is on his way back to New York. We expect to have further information tomorrow.
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 16, 2013
Harvey has been optimistic about not needing the surgery and even tweeted that he'd be back on the hill for the Mets as soon as this April, but ultimately if Dr. Andrews' examination ends with a conclusion that Harvey will need Tommy John surgery, it will almost be inevitable.
Harvey has gone around to a lot of different people to seek their opinions on the matter, but with Dr. Andrews having worked on athletes such as Michael Jordan and many others, the surgeon's word holds a lot of weight. ESPN recently reported that Harvey may not get the surgery right away even if Dr. Andrews tells him it's his best course of action.
Harvey spoke with Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay recently because Halladay was diagnosed with a similar injury but didn't undergo the operation and instead got healthy through rehab. Harvey is hoping for the same fate.
The Associated Press reported that Harvey traveled down to Pensacola, Fla., Monday morning and is returning to New York where the Mets will announce an update on him Tuesday.
Harvey was a bright star for the Mets in an otherwise forgotten season. The young ace started the All-Star game for the National League at Citi Field back in July and had a 9-5 record through 26 starts this season with a 2.27 ERA, a .931 WHIP and 191 strikeouts before the injury sidelined him for the rest of this season and possibly longer depending on Dr. Andrews' prognosis.
The Mets (67-82) have big plans for the future and are hoping for good news from Dr. Andrews because Harvey is a very important piece to the team's future. Whether or not Harvey will be around for the team next year all comes down to what the Mets announce on Tuesday.
In the meantime, the franchise and its fans will hold their collective breath in hopes that Dr. Andrews gave Harvey some positive news.
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