Mets refusing to skip Matt Harvey despite another poor start

The Mets will continue to throw Matt Harvey to the wolves despite another poor outing.

After allowing five runs in five innings Tuesday against Washington, Harvey saw his ERA balloon to 6.08, and Mets manager Terry Collins initially admitted that removing Harvey from the rotation, at least temporarily, was something the team would have to consider.

“Right now we’ve got to think what’s not just best for Matt, but what’s best for us moving forward at the moment,” Collins said Tuesday, via ESPN’s Adam Rubin. “There’s a lot of things to consider. That’s why we’re not going to make any rash judgments tonight. We’re going to sleep on it and talk about it tomorrow.”

However, the team announced Wednesday that Harvey will make his next start, slated for next Monday at Citi Field.

Matt Harvey will again make his next start, Memorial Day against the White Sox. The #Mets will not be skipping him.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) May 25, 2016

Harvey has steadfastly maintained that he is not a quitter and wants to fight through his struggles, but he’s allowed 16 earned runs in his last 13.1 innings pitched. His stuff isn’t there right now and he doesn’t look like he has any idea how to compensate for it. He’s been so bad, in fact, that he’s inspired sympathy from his opponents. The Mets considered skipping his last start as well, but they let him fight through, and it didn’t work. They seem content to do it again, and while they know the player best, it doesn’t seem as though it’s in anyone’s best interests to keep sending him out there. Skip his next start, give him a physical and mental break, and go from there. If he pitches poorly again next Monday, expect those cries to be louder.