The Return of Matt Harvey

 March 6th marks the biggest return in sports since LeBron James going back to Cleveland. Mets pitcher, Matt Harvey, returns to his first start since August 26, 2013 after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, forcing him to have Tommy John surgery. Harvey, the seventh pick in the 2010 MLB draft, looked like the future of the Mets during his debut season in 2012. For Mets fans, however, the future would have to wait until Harvey recovered from Tommy John surgery.

For those who do not know, Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure in which the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body. Many MLB pitchers undergo this surgery because of the constant jerking motion in their elbow when pitching.

Harvey underwent this procedure on October 22, 2013 and the Mets announced that he would miss the entire 2014 season. For the Mets, this meant that their biggest weapon would be on the bench, and their playoff chances would again be slim. Since 2006, the Mets have tried to rebuild their team into a playoff contender and every year seemed to come so close.

When Mets’ star, Johan Santana, went down with an injury and the Mets’ rotation began to struggle, Harvey was called up to begin his first campaign in the MLB. During his first season, Harvey put on an absolute show. In his first game, he struck out 11 batters and became the first player in the modern baseball era to strike out 10 or more batters and allow two hits in his major league debut. Harvey followed this performance with a 2.73 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 10 starts on the season. Before the injury to his right elbow, Harvey started the first half of the season 9-5. His 2.27 ERA and 191 strikeouts earned him the starting role in the All-Star Game.

On March 6th, Harvey gets to return to the mound against the Tigers. For Mets’ fans, this marks the return of hope and the future in the Mets’ organization. During Harvey’s absence, the Mets finished 7th in pitching and 9th in ERA. Their rotation already consists of big pitchers like Bartolo Colon, Zack Wheeler, Jonathon Niese, and Jacob deGrom. Adding Harvey back into the mix gives the Mets an almost unstoppable lineup. If their offense can finally put together some high scoring games, the Mets may be looking at their first postseason appearance since 2006.

Matt Harvey may not have been a star for long before his injury, but he quickly proved that he is a future star in the league. Coming off of Tommy John surgery, Harvey’s arm should be stronger than ever. His blazing fastball looked just as sharp as it did before the injury and he seems just as confident.

Harvey’s short past has made him a new and exciting star with a lot of potential. Becoming the biggest part of the Mets’ rotation, Harvey becomes a leader of the Mets entering the 2015 season, alongside veterans like third baseman, David Wright, and second baseman, Daniel Murphy.

Matt Harvey’s return is the most significant event in baseball this spring and doesn’t look like it’s going to disappoint. Moving forward, Harvey and the Mets seem to have a bright future. With their star’s return, the Mets are taking a significant step towards their postseason dreams and for Harvey, the future looks like it’ll hold nothing but more success.