The focus at Mets camp today was on Field 7 at Tradition Field, where Matt Harvey threw live batting practice to David Wright, Daniel Murphy and Curtis Granderson.
Harvey threw 26 pitches during his session and incorporated all of his pitches, including a curveball which he did not throw prior to undergoing Tommy John Surgery, although he did throw it in college.
“I don’t know where this curve ball came from,” Harvey explained to reporters afterwards. “It’s nice having that develop. I don’t know if I figured something out in my mechanics or it magically appeared. But it’s nice having that.”
Harvey said the curveball was the first off-speed pitch he threw when he began throwing.
The curve came as a bit of a surprise today, but if he can command that pitch, not only does it give him another weapon, but it could also help him manage some of the days when he doesn’t have his best fastball and slider.
Harvey seemed generally pleased with his outing, although he did note there was still a long way to go.
“All my pitches right now are feeling pretty equal, which is kind of a surprise and something I’m very happy about,” Harvey said.
None of Wright, Murphy or Granderson made any sort of significant contact against him. He was throwing hard, cracking the mitt, and throwing all of his pitches for strikes. Watching him both today and on Friday, it’s as if he hasn’t missed a beat since he went down with the elbow injury. All eyes were on him, from Sandy Alderson to the fans, and per usual, he seemed to feed off the attention, and his intensity only grew with each pitch he threw.
But, while he looked impressive, it probably doesn’t mean too much today as he said, except for the fact it was the first time he was facing hitters who were taking swings since the surgery.
Still, it was a lot of fun watching him take another successful step in the process.
Harvey will throw 35-40 pitches in his first spring start on Friday against the Tigers.
Here is Harvey discussing his curveball, as well as video of him pitching during batting practice on Monday:
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