Welcome back, Matt Harvey: We missed your nasty pitches

Happy Matt Harvey Day! It’s been 18 months, but the 26-year-old New York Mets pitcher is ready to get back on the mound for a regular-season game.

By now, we’re all familiar with Harvey’s story. The right-hander broke out in 2013, posting a 2.27 ERA over 26 starts before succumbing to Tommy John surgery. While Harvey worked his way back during 2014, and made it clear that he wanted to get back on the mound, the Mets opted to hold him back until 2015.

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Will he be worth the wait? Probably! Check out this GIF from Yahoo Sports’ Eric Orvieto:

That’s a lot of movement coming at you from the same release point.

Harvey returned to the mound this spring and flashed the same electric stuff that made him a star in 2013. It’s pretty rare that a spring training game becomes a must-watch, but Harvey’s first start came pretty close.

Despite losing Zack Wheeler to the same surgery, the Mets are expected to at least compete for a wild card this season. Much of that has to do with Harvey’s return. If his stuff is all the way back, watch out!

The bigger question might be whether Harvey is around come playoff time. The Mets were cautious with his return last season, and there’s some question over whether his innings will be limited in 2015.

Harvey admitted he’s on board with whatever the team decides, but he’s shown a competitive streak in the past. If the team is in the middle of a playoff race, it’s tough to see Harvey shutting things down without a fight.

Until then, Harvey is going to take the mound every fifth day for the foreseeable future. That’s not only good for Mets fans, that’s good for baseball.

So, pull up the game on your computer screen and hide it from your boss. What you’re about to see may not be safe for work.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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