CHICAGO -- Mets pitcher Matt Harvey's season officially came to an end on Monday, when he underwent surgery in St. Louis to relieve the thoracic outlet syndrome that had been causing numbness and discomfort in his right arm. Harvey began his roughly four-month recovery on Monday afternoon, with hopes to return to the Mets' rotation next spring.
Only in time will the Mets learn how realistic that timetable is, though other pitchers -- most notably Kansas City's Chris Young -- have found big league success after undergoing identical operations. The surgery, which renowned vascular surgeon Dr. Robert Thompson performed on Harvey, involves the removal of a rib. That eases pressure on neurological systems in the pitching arm, which can become compressed due to repetitive stress.
Harvey, 27, made the decision to undergo surgery prior to the All-Star break, following a consultation with Dr. Thompson, Mets doctors and his agent, Scott Boras. He finished his season 4-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 17 starts, logging 92 2/3 innings. Last year, Harvey submitted a career-high 216 innings in his first season back from Tommy John surgery.