NEW YORK — Nobody is more tired of baseball’s great innings-limits debate than the New York Mets. But on Wednesday, the Mets ensured it’ll be talked about for three hours on national television come Sunday night.
Right-hander Matt Harvey will start the finale of the Subway Series against the Yankees at Citi Field. The game will be carried live on ESPN, so suffice to say innings limits will be a talking point hammered into the ears of viewers around the country.
There’s at least a little bit of irony in the attention-starved Harvey drawing the national TV start a little more than two weeks after he and his agent, Scott Boras, turned what the Mets thought was a settled issue into a hot topic.
Boras told CBSSports.com on Sept. 4 that doctors recommended Harvey not throw more than 180 innings this season, counting the playoffs. The Mets, who have three times implemented a six-man rotation in order to minimize Harvey’s innings and have only once allowed him to throw more than 110 pitches in a start, were predictably exasperated.
Harvey didn’t help matters Sept. 5, when he held an awkward dugout press conference in which he didn’t declare he was willing to pitch in the postseason. Three days later, Harvey tied a season high by giving up seven runs over 5 1/3 innings before he was spared the loss by a stunning Mets comeback in an 8-7 win over the Washington Nationals.
Harvey had his next turn skipped. Returning to the rotation in prime time is surely going to ignite more tired debate, but manager Terry Collins said Wednesday afternoon, prior to the Mets’ 6-0 loss to the Miami Marlins at Citi Field, that slotting Harvey in on Sunday is the best way to try and keep Harvey sharp while keeping everyone’s options open going forward.
“We decided Sunday was a good opportunity, allows us to get him some time before he pitches again,” Collins said. “And then sets him up for, if needed, the Washington series (that concludes the regular season Oct. 2-4).”
Of course, since this involves Harvey, it’s not nearly that easy. Collins declined to say how long Harvey would pitch on Sunday — “The Yankees will determine when he comes out” — but acknowledged there would be some kind of limit that will allow the Mets to bring him back later in the week on regular rest if they wish.
“We’re going to keep a very close eye on him,” Collins said. “We have to be cognizant of the fact that we are looking at innings situations.”
Come Sunday night, everyone will be cognizant of it.