One day after not participating in a mandatory workout and apologizing for his late arrival, New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey arrived on time Wednesday and went through practice with his teammates.
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When you watch what Dallas Keuchel and Jake Arrietta did in the two wild card games this week, a Met fan starts to dream about what Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey can do against the Dodger lineup. Harvey has been a lightning rod ever since super-agent Scott Boras started an innings-limit controversy, which is why something as harmless as his tardiness makes for front-page news. He did not take questions, either. I basically – there is no excuse.
Harvey reportedly missed a mandatory Mets workout Tuesday because he was “stuck in traffic”, according to multiple reports. “Truly I just screwed up”. I showed up a little late.
As far as Harvey reporting to the team that he was struck in traffic in a tunnel, Collins added: “I’m going to tell you what: I don’t know where he was”. They know what happened and I told everybody and apologized to everybody, told them it’s not going to happen again.
New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was not in the starting lineup for Tuesday’s wild-card game against the Houston Astros. But the Dodgers’ series-tying win in Game Four – which took place 27 years ago Friday, when the Mets and Dodgers are scheduled to open the NLDS at Dodger Stadium – turned an otherwise ordinary NLCS into a classic.
The only risk the Mets face with putting Matz on the roster is that if he gets injured during the NLDS and has to be removed, then he will be ineligible to be placed on the Mets roster if they advance to the NLCS against either the Cardinals or Cubs. If healthy and sharp enough, he could start Game 4 in the best-of-five Division Series against the Dodgers.
“You’ll have to ask Matt”, Wright said.
The team has not spoken about any sort of discipline over Harvey’s absence, and it’s clear they will need him against Los Angeles. The right-hander was in the middle of a ruckus last month over his workload on the mound in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. He says Mauer will remain the first baseman going into the 2016 season after Mauer hit a career-worst. “They are guys who don’t historically walk people and don’t give up a whole lot of hits”.
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This match up looks like as a pitchers duel, the Dodgers seasoned veterans versus the Mets talented young pitchers, but let’s not forget that the Mets led the National League in runs scored after the All-Star break.
