NEW YORK (AP) Mets star pitcher Matt Harvey was suspended three days without pay by the team on Sunday for an undisclosed violation of team rules, the latest hiccup for a club beset by problems on and off the field this season.
General manager Sandy Alderson announced the suspension in a brief statement before the game, shortly before Harvey was scheduled to start against Miami. Alderson said the right-hander had been sent home, but declined further comment.
Left-hander Adam Wilk was called up from Triple-A Las Vegas to face the Marlins. In his first big league game since 2015, the lefty was hit hard, giving up six runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. New York managed only one hit in a 7-0 loss and was shut out for the first time this season.
The Mets said Harvey’s suspension took effect Saturday. Manager Terry Collins held a closed-door meeting with his team before Sunday’s game to talk about the penalty.
”We are going to keep it in house, the way it’s supposed to be,” Collins said. ”We hope to put it behind us and move forward.”
The suspension removed Harvey from the 25-man roster. The Mets transferred injured ace Noah Syndergaard to the 60-day disabled list to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Wilk. New York also claimed lefty Tommy Milone off waivers from Milwaukee – he was 1-0 with one save and a 6.43 ERA.
Collins indicated he was aware that a suspension could be on the horizon for Harvey.
”There were some moves made last night because we felt this might occur,” the manager said Sunday.
In his first season after having a rib removed in surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, the 28-year-old Harvey is 2-2 with a 5.14 ERA in 35 innings. He is coming off two of the worst starts of his career, allowing 12 runs over 9 2/3 innings with eight walks in a pair of losses to Atlanta.
It’s not the first time Harvey has been punished by the Mets for his behavior. He missed a mandatory team workout before the 2015 playoffs and was fined.
After showing up at the ballpark, Harvey apologized for his late arrival. He offered no public explanation for his tardiness, saying he simply ”screwed up.”
Harvey started the 2013 All-Star Game on his home mound at Citi Field, then missed the 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He came back the following year and went 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA, helping the Mets reach the World Series in his first postseason.
Coming off two straight playoff appearances, the Mets began this season with lofty expectations. Instead, hampered by injuries, they have started out 14-16 against all NL East opponents.
New York is missing Syndergaard (latissimus dorsi), outfielder Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring), first baseman Lucas Duda (elbow), catcher Travis d’Arnaud (wrist), left-hander Steven Matz (elbow), right-hander Seth Lugo (elbow), third baseman David Wright (recovery from neck surgery) and outfielder Brandon Nimmo (hamstring).
Steady shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera left Saturday’s game with an injured left thumb, but the Mets got some good news Sunday when an MRI showed no tear. Cabrera will not need surgery and the team hadn’t decided whether to put him on the disabled list, Collins said.
The team already has dealt with several public relations issues this season. Syndergaard initially missed a start with what the Mets said was biceps and shoulder discomfort and then made his next start against Washington after refusing to undergo an MRI. He was removed with the lat injury after only 1 1/3 ineffective innings in a 23-5 loss.
Syndergaard issued an apology Saturday to Mets public relations director Jay Horwitz and members of the media for an outburst on April 27.
In another embarrassing development, the team tweeted a photo Friday night of T.J. Rivera wearing the star-of-the-game crown in the clubhouse after a victory over Miami – and the background included a clearly visible sex toy in backup catcher Kevin Plawecki’s locker.
Plawecki described it as a prank by someone else. He said the toy was not his and it was gone by Saturday. He said he did not know what happened to it and he was not making an effort to find out who left the toy in his locker.
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