Matt Harvey may need season-ending shoulder surgery
Matt Harvey’s trip to a shoulder specialist Thursday confirmed the New York Mets’ fears: He has symptoms consistent with thoracic outlet syndrome and, one day, will need shoulder surgery.
The question now is whether Harvey opts for surgery, which will end his 2016 season, or nerve-blocking injections that could allow him to keep pitching. He wasn’t yet made up his mind.
The prognosis was revealed Thursday by Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, who told reporters that surgery is inevitable for Harvey, but not immediately essential. The recovery time for the surgery is four months.
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Thoracic outlet syndrome is relatively rare in baseball. It happens when the nerves or blood vessels are compressed near the clavicle and can lead to pain, numbness or tingling in the arm.
Trying to figure out what to do next is a frustratingly familiar situation for Harvey, who tried the rehab route with his elbow before opting for Tommy John surgery and missing the 2014 season.
Harvey has struggled this year, with a 4-10 record and an uncharacteristic 4.86 ERA, so perhaps now the shoulder trouble will explain some of that. His rough season won’t be the conversation anymore, though. Now we’ll all wonder: What’s next for Matt Harvey?
Shoulder problems among pitchers are common and sometimes hard to solve. Harvey’s specific condition, thoracic outlet syndrome, has affected a smaller number of big leaguers over the years with varying results. The comeback routine isn’t as established as Tommy John surgery, in which we’ve seen it so frequently, there’s a road map of what to expect.
The Stew’s Chris Cwik on Wednesday wrote a thorough explanation of how players have dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome over the years.
Former Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, for instance, had the surgery in 2012, returned to pitch toward the end of the season but never played again. Chris Young returned for two solid years after surgery, but is struggling in 2016. Phil Hughes, Jaime Garcia, Josh Beckett, Shaun Marcum and Matt Harrison are among the pitchers who have had the surgery.
The tales of Carpenter and Hughes could convince Harvey to put off surgery. Carpenter waited four years to have the surgery and Hughes waited five. Garcia, meanwhile, could offer a good glimpse of career post-surgery. He had the surgery in 2014, returned to post a 2.43 ERA in 20 starts last season. So far this year, he’s 6-6 with a 4.01 ERA.
Whichever route Harvey goes, it’s safe to say that after his Tommy John surgery and rehab, this is a position he never wanted to find himself in again.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
