There won’t be any innings-limit drama for Matt Harvey in the World Series.
The New York Mets ace will be the Game 1 starter when the National League champions begin the Fall Classic on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, manager Terry Collins announced Saturday, per ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin.
Harvey will go in Game 1, and Jacob deGrom will follow suit in Game 2. Collins said he doesn’t plan to use any of his starters on three days’ rest, per Rubin, so Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz will pitch in Games 3 and 4, respectively, at Citi Field.
The Mets were looking to limit Harvey’s postseason workload after he pitched 189.1 innings in the regular season—one year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Harvey said his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews, told him that 180 innings should be his maximum this year to protect his health in the long term, per Steve Wilaj of MLB.com.
In August, Harvey told Fox Sports’ Jimmy Traina that he wasn’t concerned and tried to keep his head down when the innings-limit talk began.
“They’re going to go over what’s best, and, obviously, as a player you gotta keep your head down and keep focused and keep with your task at hand,” he said. “If I start worrying about that and it gets in my head, then my performance may suffer.”
With the Mets four wins away from their first World Series title in 29 years, there will be plenty of time for rest in the offseason. Harvey has won both of his starts in the postseason.
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