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Onetime Mets Ace is demoted to the bullpen

Harvey, who has not been consistently effective since 2015, got the news in a meeting with manager Mickey Callaway and other team officials before Saturday’s game against the Atlanta Braves.

He added: “But my performance hasn’t been there. I just have to do whatever I have to do to get back in the starting rotation, and that’s right now go to the bullpen and work on some things.”

The move was a long time coming for Harvey, 29, who came into the season fully healthy for the first time in a while but struggled in three of his first four starts. He will head to the bullpen with a 6.00 ERA through 21 innings. His strikeout and walk rates improved over last season, but he gave up hits at career-high rate and his speed dropped to a career-worst 92.5 mph.

Harvey had a miserable 2017 season, posting a 6.70 ERA over 92 2/3 innings with his right shoulder still weak from a 2016 operation to treat thoracic outlet syndrome.

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But in spring training this year, Harvey gushed about the value of having an offseason without any injury rehabilitation to do and about being able to focus on building arm strength. He also has a new manager in Callaway and a new pitching coach, Dave Eiland; both vouched for Harvey to the Mets’ front office, which fielded trade offers for him in the offseason. And Harvey had plenty of motivation: He is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of this season.

In his most recent start, the Mets’ 12-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, Harvey gave up six runs in his first three innings and none over the final three. He hoped his final three innings would buy him one more start.

The Mets, however, did not have room for him in the rotation. Zack Wheeler has pitched solidly since returning from Class AAA Las Vegas, and Jason Vargas, whom the Mets signed to a two-year, $16 million deal in the offseason, is expected to return from a hand injury this coming week.

“Dave and I have both seen guys go to the bullpen and come out of it better than they were before,” Callaway said. “I think that can be the case with Matt Harvey.”

Beginning Tuesday, Harvey will be available to pitch in relief. John Ricco, the Mets’ assistant general manager, and Callaway made sure to emphasize that this move was more about getting Harvey on track than converting him to a full-time reliever.

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Ricco said sending Harvey to the minor leagues was not an option because the Mets still felt Harvey could help the team. Given contract rules, Harvey would have had to approve such a demotion because he has more than five years in the major leagues.

“It’s inevitable that he’s going to make more starts for us this year,” Callaway said. “That’s how baseball goes. Everyone uses tons of pitching throughout the season.”

Callaway said the conversation Saturday with Harvey was “tough” and “not comfortable” given the pitcher’s former stature on the team. But as Harvey later told reporters, he informed team officials that he was “motivated to show everybody that he can be a starter.”

Harvey did try to make a case for staying in the rotation when he met with team officials, but a decision had already been reached.

“They make the calls and whatever is best for everybody is what I need to do,” Harvey said.

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The handling of Harvey was one of Callaway’s first major tests as the Mets’ manager. Callaway, a former pitching coach, and Eiland were hired for their pitching expertise. Ricco said the team would lean on the two to help Harvey rebuild his pitching and confidence.

Harvey has already made one comeback, overcoming Tommy John surgery in late 2013 with an impressive 2015 season.

“We admire the passion and the pride he has, and that’s a big part of what’s going to get him back to being a productive guy,” Ricco said of Harvey. “I’m not surprised he’s a little frustrated at this. He’s not supposed to be happy about it.”

Later Saturday, the Mets lost, 4-3, to the Braves on a walk-off ninth-inning bunt single by Ender Inciarte that allowed Johan Camargo to score just ahead of a throw home by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

The Mets led, 3-0, after a strong start by Jacob deGrom, who struck out 10 and allowed just four hits over seven innings. But the bullpen gave up two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and Jeurys Familia could not save a 3-2 lead in the ninth.

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This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

JAMES WAGNER © 2018 The New York Times

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