Amped up Harvey touches 97 mph in latest start for Mets
If Matt Harvey's latest start on Sunday was any indication of how things are going in his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome, the New York Mets should be pleased.
The 27-year-old right-hander touched 97 miles per hour during an 8-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves, which pleased manager Terry Collins.
"Today, he amped it up a little bit," Collins said, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. "And I'm sure when we get to Citi Field and he gets out there for the first time, he'll amp it up that day, also."
Harvey was also pumped about the results from Sunday's contest, which saw a major increase in his velocity, which regularly sat between 92-93 mph for most of March.
"That was a big step - probably the biggest so far of spring, and moving forward into the season," Harvey explained.
After allowing just two runs across six innings against Atlanta on Sunday, Harvey's ERA has dropped from 21.60 at the beginning of spring to its current 5.89, which may still be a sight for sores eyes on paper, but shows progress, which the hard-throwing Mets hurler is happy about.
"The numbers early in spring - and still - don't really explain how I feel about moving forward," Harvey said. "I couldn't be happier where I am now and moving forward. I feel I'm ready for a good season."
Harvey is expected to fill the third spot in the Mets' rotation behind Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom to begin the season.
Over the course of his four years in the big leagues, Harvey owns a 29-28 record with a 2.94 ERA and a 9.1 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate.