Matt harvey (emphatically) has nothing to say about his demotion

“It is very important to our game that ALL players are available to the media for reasonable periods and it is the player’s responsibility to cooperate,” reads Section 7 of the media regulations portion of the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the players union.

Over the past two days, Matt Harvey, the New York Mets’ disgruntled starting-pitcher-turned-relief pitcher — a player who has served as the team’s union representative — declined to cooperate in discussing his first outing in his new role.

After Tuesday’s game, in which he allowed a go-ahead run before the Mets offense spared him from a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Harvey declined to speak with reporters via a team spokesman. Before Wednesday’s game, an eventual 9-1 loss to St. Louis, he was more direct and forceful.

“I have nothing to say to you guys,” Harvey said to a few approaching reporters. Asked why, he said it was because he did not want to, with an expletive added for emphasis.

In fact, before reporters could even ask if he had time to chat, Harvey chuckled, shook his head and said, “No chance.”

The transition from the crowded starting rotation to the bullpen has not been smooth for the struggling Harvey. Zack Wheeler has sputtered, but he has pitched better than Harvey. And Jason Vargas, whom the Mets signed to a two-year $16-million deal this winter, will make his season debut Saturday as he returns from a hand injury.

So Harvey, who had a 6.00 ERA through four starts this season, was sent to the bullpen this weekend. After five years as a starting pitcher — once one of the best in the sport before injuries and ineffectiveness dented his status — Harvey was mad but said he would do what the team needed.

His first appearance came with the score tied in the fifth inning Tuesday, and Harvey responded by giving up a run on two hard-hit doubles. The Mets later won the game in extra innings.

In all, Harvey walked one and struck out two over two innings. He was aggressive and threw a lot of fastballs (92 to 94 mph) and sliders, two pitches that are no longer what they were before the injuries. His pitch selection and command still needed sharpening.

He did not appear in Wednesday’s game, a sloppy affair in which starter Steven Matz gave up seven runs (three earned) over 3 1/3 innings.

The Mets have encouraged Harvey to locate his fastball to both sides of the strike zone and make more use of his change-up, a pitch that was effective in spring training but one that he has thrown at the lowest rate of his career.

“He’s going to have to do that if he wants to have success,” said Dave Eiland, the Mets pitching coach.

Since they took over this winter, Eiland and Mickey Callaway, the new Mets manager, have vouched for Harvey.

When the front office fielded offers for Harvey over the winter, Callaway, a former pitching coach, and Eiland thought they could help Harvey. Even as they demoted Harvey to the bullpen, they stressed that they still might need him in the rotation later in the season. They had experience with starting pitchers who moved to the bullpen and returned better, such as Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Duffy.

To make this work, Eiland said, Harvey needed to channel the expected anger into improvement and to “buy into” the new duties. After Tuesday’s game, Callaway thought Harvey had done so.

“We’re optimistic this is going to work, but to think this is going to happen in 24 to 48 hours, I don’t think any of us here believe that,” Eiland said. “We think it can happen for him pretty quick. He’s not doing this alone. I told him that: We’re behind you. We’re going to do all we can to help you get through this.”

But after Tuesday’s game, Harvey was not in the mood to discuss his performance in a role he did not like, so Callaway and rookie catcher Tomas Nido, who had never caught Harvey before, answered questions about it.

It was not the first (or second) time Harvey had declined to speak with reporters following a less-than-stellar outing during his Mets tenure. Teammates, such as injured captain David Wright, and team officials have spoken to him in the past about the value of accountability. Perhaps because of that, some were either oblivious or indifferent about Harvey’s additional refusal this week.

Harvey’s body has certainly dealt with a lot — Tommy John and thoracic outlet syndrome surgeries, and shoulder weakness. Injuries force players to adapt. Scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, Harvey is in an uncomfortable position, with a reputation for poor behavior and a pattern of poor results on the field.

Asked before the game if he had discussed with Harvey the refusal to talk to reporters, Callaway said that he had not because the rules did not require it. But in reality, everyone else on the Mets normally does.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

Matt harvey (emphatically) has nothing to say about his demotion

“It is very important to our game that ALL players are available to the media for reasonable periods and it is the player’s responsibility to cooperate,” reads Section 7 of the media regulations portion of the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the players union.

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