Matt Harvey Diagnosed with Torn UCL

by
August 26, 2013

Sometimes, baseball is just cruel.

 

A couple of years ago, Stephen Strasburg was the best young pitcher we’d seen in a very long time, and then his elbow gave out. Matt Harvey was the best young pitcher we’d seen since Strasburg, and now it looks like his elbow might end up requiring surgery too. I have no personal affinity towards the Mets, but as a fan of baseball, this sucks. The game does not need any more “what if” stories. We already have one Mark Prior; we don’t need to start a fraternity.

Smart people of the future: Figure out how to keep great young pitchers healthy, please.





 

Dave is the Managing Editor of FanGraphs.

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John Choiniere
10 years ago

Also, Francisco Liriano in 2006.

3
Mets boy
10 years ago
Reply to  John Choiniere

This is a worse feeling then Carlos Beltran striking out looking in the NLCS.

It’s really hard being a Met fan.

1
Zen Madman
10 years ago
Reply to  Mets boy

At least then there was “wait until next year.” Next year just got darker for the Mets.

0
Hitler But Sadder
10 years ago
Reply to  Mets boy

Did your comment on ESPN’s article about this very topic not generate the response you craved? Word of the wise: diversify, diversify, diversify…..

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vivalajeter
10 years ago
Reply to  Mets boy

I’d have to think that Beltran’s strikeout was worse, as the entire franchise might have gone in a different direction if he hit a liner into the gap. In a parallel universe:

Beltran hits a game winning double, and the Mets head to the World Series (which they sweep, like the Cards wound up doing).

Heading into September, 2007 as the defending World Champions, they have enough swagger to coast into the playoffs rather than choking down the stretch. Maybe they win it all, maybe they don’t, but they head into 2008 without the stigma as chokers.

They head into September, 2008 without the questions of whether they’ll choke again. It’s not even a thought. So they confidently head to the playoffs for the third year in a row.

They open Citi Field in 2009 as a powerhouse team that went to the playoffs three times in a row, with 1-3 championships, rather than a team coming off of three horrible finishes. The stadium is packed every night and the high payroll can be sustained, so they don’t become the laughing stock that they’ve become.

Also, Madoff never gets caught in the parallel universe.

4
JS7
10 years ago
Reply to  John Choiniere

It doesn’t matter which team you’re a fan of, this is just terrible news for baseball in general.

30
Balthazar
10 years ago
Reply to  JS7

Agreed. It ‘seems’ as though pitchers throwing max effort nearly every pitch break down faster than ever, but attrition is always high. The attrition rate of even the best prospects while still in the minors masks the overall injury situation. Still when it’s a high talent young guy already having success at the major league level, it hurts as a fan, no matter the player or team.

The rarity of guys whose arm/body can endure the grind is thrown more than ever into relief. For every Jose Fernandez, there’s a half dozen guys on rehab, many of whom take years to make it back to a semblance of themselves. I love Bundy, and Hultzen; and Beachy; Harvey’s been great. The odds are just stacked against most arms holding up. : (

0
Anon21
10 years ago
Reply to  Balthazar

I don’t quite get your ref to Fernandez in the last paragraph. You seem to be holding him up as some sort of paragon of durability, when in fact he has thrown fewer than 300 professional innings.

8
TapRat
10 years ago
Reply to  Balthazar

I’m guessing he meant Felix Hernandez.

1
Hitler But Sadder
10 years ago
Reply to  JS7

You as well

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