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The Mets discussed a crazy idea to help jumpstart Matt Harvey
For whatever reason, New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey hasn't looked right this season. His first eight starts were marred by inconsistency, then his ninth start on Thursday veered past inconsistent and into disastrous territory. In just 2 2/3 innings, Harvey allowed nine runs, six of which were earned, in a 9-1 loss to the Nationals.
It was the shortest start of Harvey's career, and it was also the most damaging to his confidence and his ERA. In turn, that's led to an undeniable feeling of uneasiness as both the player and team search for answers.
[Related: From bad to worst: Matt Harvey gets rocked again in Mets loss]
According to Newsday, the Mets formally discussed many of their options regarding Harvey on Friday. Most notably, they gave thought to skipping Harvey's next scheduled start on Tuesday to give him time to relax, then refocus. It's a perfectly sound strategy that's been used many times before with varying degrees of success.
But that was far from the only strategy discussed. As the report also notes, the Mets were looking at solutions that run deeper than baseball mechanics, conventional wisdom and perhaps even logic.
The Mets huddled on Friday to begin the daunting task of reassembling Matt Harvey’s shattered confidence. Their options ran the gamut.
Most were traditional, such as dispatching the embattled pitcher to the minors for a head-clearing sabbatical, a person briefed on the situation told Newsday. Others were more radical, such as emptying Harvey’s locker, assembling the belongings into a pile and setting them ablaze.
Some hoped that the gesture might symbolize a much-needed fresh start, and that he could rise from the ashes.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, but are we really at the burning things stage?
Apparently not, as the Mets ultimately dismissed the suggestion. Then they went about dismissing all other potential alterations to their plans as well, tentatively scheduling Harvey to make his start on Tuesday.
At this point, the Mets figure it's up to Harvey to figure it out, and the only way Harvey can figure it out is to pitch. If he falters again against the Nationals, then it might be time to take action. If he figures it out though, that would be a huge step in the right direction.
Consider manager Terry Collins among those counting on a turn around after watching Harvey throw a simulated game on Saturday.
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"When you don't pitch, the games get ugly. That's pretty hard for a pitcher. But that's why it takes a strong, tremendous fortitude that you've got to have to get on that mound. You've got to be strong. You've got to be thick-skinned. We saw it last year when Matt went through the [innings-limit episode] and he took some abuse because of it. And at the end of the year he got a standing ovation, they were chanting his name. It will happen again. This summer, it will happen again."
For Harvey's sake, we hope that's what happens. Otherwise, he better remove all the flammable material from his locker.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
