Mets Suspend Matt Harvey Amid Feverish Dildo Prank-Related Speculation

Matt Harvey, who most assuredly is not in trouble for dildo-related tomfoolery.

The 2017 Mets: they've got some problems, man. In an incident that overshadowed the fact that the Mets had won three consecutive series and were finally starting to hit, the team announced just hours before his scheduled start today that pitcher Matt Harvey was suspended for three games for a violation of team rules.

On Mets Twitter (a terrible place no person should ever visit), speculation was running rampant that the suspension might have had something to do with Harvey's potential involvement in the appearance of an enormous dildo in the background of picture of utility player T.J. Rivera celebrating being named player of the game on Friday night. However, beat reporter Marc Carig later tweeted that the suspension had nothing to do with "the sex toy fiasco."

The team isn't saying why Harvey, who has struggled recently after an encouraging start to his season following a lost year that ended in surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, was so dramatically suspended. Manager Terry Collins hinted vaguely at the idea that the team felt baseball wasn't the most important thing in Harvey's life but the team has otherwise been silent on the issue.

An anonymous source told the News' John Harper that Harvey "has some growing up to do" and that the issues related to the suspension go back to last year. (For what it's worth, the Mets have a very strange habit of publicly going to war with their own players through the use of anonymous leaks). This suspension also comes shortly after ace Noah Syndergaard went through a bizarre couple of weeks that involved him telling the team he couldn't lift his arm above his head, refusing to take an MRI, insisting he make his next scheduled start and then tearing his lat in the second inning of that start.

As for the on-field product, journeyman Adam Wilk started in Harvey's place and gave up two long, violent home runs to large Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton.

The Mets are currently losing 7-0, and have one hit through the 7th inning.