Matt Harvey’s penchant for holding it in nearly cost him an Opening Day start.
The New York Mets pitcher revealed Tuesday a blood clot in his bladder was the mystery illness that forced him to miss his final spring training start Monday, according to ESPN.com. Mets General manager Sandy Alderson initially called Harvey’s problem a “non-baseball medical issue.”
Harvey forthrightly told reporters how the urinary tract ailments affected him and how he and doctors treated them.
“It started with a bladder infection and it created a blood clot in the bladder,” Harvey said. “I passed it yesterday. It wasn’t a great first day (after) my 27th birthday. But we cleared that. And then we had a little procedure done this morning just to go in and check the bladder and everything was clear.”
Harvey will pitch the first two innings of the Mets’ penultimate Spring Training game Wednesday against the Washington Nationals. He’s expected to start the Mets’ season opener Sunday against the Kansas City Royals.
“I’m cleared to go, cleared to do some minor activities today,” Harvey said. “And then we’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”
Harvey admitted his tenancy to use the bathroom only when necessary caused the initial infection.
“I guess the main issue is I hold my urine in for too long instead of peeing regularly,” Harvey said with a laugh. “I guess I have to retrain my bladder to use the restroom a little bit more instead of holding it in. I guess that’s what caused the bladder infection.”
Let that be a lesson to baseball fans everywhere, as the 2016 regular season approaches.
Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
