The New York Mets can’t get out of their own way these days.
The Mets surprisingly announced Sunday morning that they have suspended Matt Harvey three games without pay for violating team rules. The right-hander was scheduled to start Sunday afternoon against the Miami Marlins but was sent home instead, according to general manager Sandy Alderson.
New York tabbed left-hander Adam Wilk to make the emergency start in Harvey’s place.
It’s unclear why Harvey was suspended, as the Mets declined to give a reason and manager Terry Collins insisted he’ll keep the matter “in-house.” Since this is the Mets, though, there was a theory that the pitcher’s punishment had to do with a bizarre prank gone wrong: After a comeback win Friday, the team’s Twitter account posted a locker room photo of second baseman T.J. Rivera without realizing there was a large sex toy in the background of the picture.
Yet it appears Harvey’s suspension is unrelated to this incident, as Newsday’s Marc Carig reported Sunday in humorous fashion.
Harvey is off to a rough start this season, sporting an unsavory 5.14 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP through six starts. The Mets’ pitching staff also is extremely thin as it is, with ace Noah Syndergaard expected to miss three months due to a torn lat.
Thumbnail photo via Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports Images
