Matz eases elbow concerns with brisk gem

NEW YORK — Earlier this week, Steven Matz stepped into the usual Manhattan office and underwent the typical battery of tests. Doctors took X-ray images of his left elbow. They gave him a CT scan. They sent him through an MRI tube. Afterward, they shot Matz full of cortisone to heal what discomfort he had been feeling in his prized left arm.

All tests came back negative, which eased Matz’s mind, and he felt well enough to throw off a mound two days later. But until Friday’s 3-2 win over the Brewers, Matz had not tested his clean bill of health in a game. He had not yet overcome the mental hurdle of standing in front of 36,239 people at Citi Field, rearing back and letting it rip.

“Dealing with the injuries I have in the past, every time the elbow pops up, you question it,” Matz said. “But with all the [tests] coming back clear and everything, that definitely gave me the peace of mind.”

So did winning. After shaking off a first-inning Chris Carter homer on Friday, Matz retired 15 in a row en route to seven innings of two-run ball. He struck out eight. He walked zero. And he proved that when healthy, for however long he can stay that way, Matz is indeed one of baseball’s brightest young pitchers.

“If you’re a young pitcher and you’ve had an …

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