‘Matt Harvey gave his arm already for the New York Mets,’ agent says

With Matt Harvey in line to work innings far beyond what his agent expected this season, the agent decided Friday that this was not the time to revive his public dispute with the New York Mets.

“I think the best thing to say is, we’re in the playoffs,” agent Scott Boras said before Game 1 of the Dodgers-Mets series at Dodger Stadium.

Boras had said Harvey should pitch no more than 180 innings this season, his first after Tommy John surgery, based on what the agent said was a consensus among the player, the team and doctors. Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson said last week the agreement had been 185 innings plus playoffs.

Harvey, who told Mets Manager Terry Collins he would pitch beyond the suggested limit, worked 189 1/3 innings in the regular season. He is scheduled to start Game 3 of the series on Monday.

Boras declined to say whether he thought the Mets were taking undue risk with Harvey.

“I’m not going to comment on it,” Boras said. “I just want to focus on the game and let them do what they’re going to do. ... We certainly want the players and the teams to focus on the game. That’s what everybody should do.

Harvey showed up late for a workout this week, but Boras said he did not believe the tardiness -- and the unusually public atmosphere surrounding the inning-limit debate -- had dented Harvey’s reputation among his teammates.

“I think the perception of every player is, Matt’s got a great work ethic,” Boras said. “I think everybody knows that.

“Matt Harvey gave his arm already for the New York Mets. In 2013, he went out and pitched until he didn’t have a ligament.”

Follow Bill Shaikin on Twitter @BillShaikin