Matt Harvey hits DL with shoulder issue, will see specialist

There may finally be an explanation for New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey’s struggles this season. The club placed Harvey on the 15-day disabled Wednesday with right shoulder discomfort.

Given Harvey’s less than stellar numbers, some initially thought that maybe this was a phantom injury. Maybe Harvey wasn’t actually hurt, and the team was just trying to give him a few weeks off in order to figure things out.

That’s not the case. Harvey will see a specialist in St. Louis on Thursday, the team announced. The extra exam indicates that the Mets seem concerned about the issue, and that this isn’t just an excuse to sit Harvey for a few weeks.

Through 92 2/3 innings this season, Harvey has posted a 4.86 ERA. He came into the year with a career 2.53 ERA over 423 innings. Harvey has also seen his strikeout rate decline, and his walk rate jump slightly.

While he still throws hard, Harvey has experienced some velocity decline. He averaged 96.46 mph on his fastball in 2016, but that’s down to 95.39 mph this year, according to BrooksBaseball.net.

Shoulder injuries can be particularly daunting for pitchers. While Tommy John surgery is the most popular arm injury, that occurs in the elbow, and guys can come back and pitch well for years after undergoing surgery. With shoulder injuries, there is a lot more uncertainty. Some guys never fully recover.

While no one knows the extent of Harvey’s injury, the doctor he’s being sent to see, Dr. Robert Thompson, specializes in thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. According to Newsday, the Mets are concerned Harvey may be dealing with that ailment.

Thoracic outlet syndrome occurs when major nerves or blood vessels are compressed near the clavicle. There are three types, one of which can cause pain, numbness or tingling in the arm.

A few pitchers have undergone surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, with varying results. St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter underwent the surgery in 2012 and was able to return for the final weeks of the season, but did not pitch in the majors after that.

Carpenter’s teammate Jaime Garcia has also had the surgery. Other pitchers such as Josh Beckett, Shaun Marcum, Matt Harrison and Chris Young have also undergone surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.

Beckett was able to return post-surgery and produce solid numbers, but only lasted one more season in the majors. Young turned in two solid seasons in 2014 and 2015 before posting a 6.90 ERA over 60 innings this year.

If Harvey is diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, he may not have to undergo surgery immediately. Carpenter reportedly was diagnosed in 2008 and put the surgery off until 2012. Minnesota Twins pitcher Phil Hughes found out he had thoracic outlet syndrome in 2011, but made it until this season before he underwent surgery.

Harvey hasn’t been diagnosed with anything other than discomfort just yet. Given the serious nature of thoracic outlet syndrome, the Mets hope it remains that way following Harvey’s exam Thursday.