The New York Mets may not know if starting pitcher Matt Harvey will require Tommy John surgery on his torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament for two or three weeks, reports ESPN.com.
Matt Harvey injury: Tommy John surgery decision to come in 2-3 weeks
It was reported earlier Monday that Harvey has a partial tear of his UCL, but the full extend of the injury is not yet known.
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Mets general manager Sandy Alderson says that the team will need to wait for the swelling in Harvey’s elbow to subside before determining if surgery is necessary. By waiting, doctors will better be able to determine the full extent of the UCL tear.
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Harvey’s agent, Scott Boras, also noted the need to be clear on how large of a tear the right-hander suffered before any decisions on whether to have surgery.
“When you’re talking about the term ‘partial tear,’ you’re talking about 5 percent to 95 percent,” Boras was quoted by ESPN. “You have to get in and get the specifics and get more information medically before we can really make a determination as to what we’re dealing with.”
Harvey’s injury was first reported earlier Monday. Tommy John surgery was reported to be a possibility soon after. If he does undergo the procedure, there is a chance that he does not pitch in the majors again until 2015, as rehab usually takes about a year.
Harvey, 24, has a 2.27 ERA over 26 starts this season and was named to his first All-Star team. The Mets had reportedly been considering shutting him down around 200 innings, but it looks like he won’t reach that number.
The Mets also found out Monday that starting pitcher Jeremy Hefner will undergo Tommy John surgery.
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