New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey will make his spring debut today in Orlando as the Amazins take on the Atlanta Braves. Harvey takes the mound for the first time since game five of the 2015 World Series, and this time he looks to debut his improved slider – the one that made him so nasty in 2013 but practically abandoned during his comeback season in 2015..
“I just really couldn’t throw it last year until the end, so you never know how it’s going to come out and today I threw a lot of good ones,” Harvey said after throwing to live batters last week.
“But today I threw a lot of good ones. That was kind of my pitch in 2013 and I kind of lived without it last year, so it’s a good sign that today it felt real well.”
Manager, Terry Collins spoke with Anthony DiComo of MLB.com on Harvey’s slider, a pitch he did not use effectively too much last year, and instead turned to his curveball and change-up.
“As we saw during the season, it took him a little while to really round into pitching,” Collins said. “We had enough reports to say, ‘Look, that late life may not be there last year.’ That’s one of the things we talked about that we didn’t think he had.”
“I’m seeing stuff that he didn’t have last year,” Collins added. “I’m seeing that late life, that last giddy-up. I’m seeing better spin on the slider.’’
Harvey, who is now more than two years removed from Tommy John surgery will no longer have any innings limits to worry about and pitch without restrictions. Now equipped with all of his weapons, a determined “Dark Knight” could be even better this season which is bad news for any of the opposition.
