Mets need to ‘wring the rag dry’ before pulling Matt Harvey from rotation

8:05 PM ET

NEW YORK — New York Mets manager Terry Collins isn’t sure what to expect from Matt Harvey against the Chicago White Sox either.

Collins exhaled heavily, then said: “That’s a good question,” when asked what the Mets could count on from the down-and-out Dark Knight in his 1:10 p.m. ET Memorial Day start opposite left-hander Jose Quintana.

After deliberation, Mets officials decided to keep Harvey in the rotation despite his ERA rising to 6.08 when he allowed five runs in five innings against the Washington Nationals last Tuesday.

“I’m hoping that he relaxes,” Collins said. “I’m hoping that he just goes out and pitches like he knows how — and that is worrying about making pitches, not so much about the mechanics. It’s like anything else: If your mind is on anything besides throwing the baseball — if you’re worried where your foot is landing or you’re worried about where your arm angle is — you’re going to have a tough time. So I hope he just goes out and pitches like he knows how and has a little more fun than he’s been having. And we’ll keep a close eye on him.”

“This is not just a Triple-A guy who’s up for a tryout,” Terry Collins said of Matt Harvey. “This is a guy who pitched in an All-Star Game a couple of years ago.” Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire

What happens if Harvey flops again? Collins cannot make any promises that Harvey would start next weekend in Miami on his rotation turn.

Still, Collins suggested that Harvey’s side sessions have been strong. So there may be limited benefit to pulling Harvey out of the rotation and having him work out the kinks without the stresses of a game.

Collins added that …

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