As the Mets continue to win, and keep a firm hold on the NL East, they're starting to run into an unavoidable issue. Matt Harvey is in the midst of a fantastic season, but New York has imposed an innings limit on their ace, which he's rapidly approaching. While most 26-year olds don't have that problem, Harvey is coming off Tommy John surgery, and the Mets are going to be incredibly careful when it comes to his right arm.
He's already accumulated 154 innings pitched in 23 starts, and his cap seems to be in the range of 185-195. Harvey has averaged 6.7 innings per start, which means that he has roughly four to five more games before he would likely reach his limit. While Harvey and the Mets haven't always seen eye to eye over the past couple years, he appears to be in agreement with the decision.
"The innings are adding up -- we have kind of been discussing that the whole time. I told them I was completely on board with whatever they wanted to to do. I just kind of preferred it would be sooner than than later."
Harvey isn't the only Mets starter that's going to be skipped, as Noah Syndergaard has already eclipsed his career high in innings pitched. According to NY Post reporter, Mike Puma, New York is expected to skip Syndergaard's turn in the rotation shortly, but that he'll "make his scheduled start against the Phillies on Tuesday".
While this could undoubtedly have adverse effects on their playoff hopes going forward, Steven Matz is expected to return when rosters expand on September 1st. Once that happens, "Terry Collins expects the Mets to employ a six-man rotation...making it unnecessary for Harvey -- who has pitched 154 innings -- to miss additional starts".
Fortunately for the Mets, they're flush with young starting pitching, and Jon Niese has pitched to the tune of a 2.81 ERA since his first start in July. With the final month of the season rapidly approaching, New York seems primed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2006.