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Harvey blows off media after another rough outing

Patrick Smith / Getty Images Sport / Getty

New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey is apparently tired of talking about his struggles. Unfortunately for him, his bosses are just getting started.

Harvey declined to speak with the media Tuesday after the beleaguered right-hander stumbled through yet another underwhelming start, his third straight outing in which he's allowed at least five earned runs in fewer than six innings. Facing the Washington Nationals for his second start in a row, Harvey began to unravel during his second trip through the order, serving up back-to-back homers in the fourth and getting chased after offering up a pair of runs in the fifth.

The disappointing outing came on the heels of the worst start of his career - a nine-run disaster at Citi Field last week that prompted manager Terry Collins to mull skipping Harvey amid a marked drop in velocity and mechanics, which the pitcher admitted are getting progressively worse. On Tuesday, he struck out just one batter - a career-low.

''We've got to think what's not just best for Matt, but what's best for us moving forward at the moment,'' Collins told reporters. ''There are a lot of things to consider. We're not going to make any rash judgments tonight. We're going to sleep on it.''

Collins added that he'll huddle up with pitching coach Dan Warthen and general manager Sandy Alderson to discuss whether Harvey will make his next start, tentatively scheduled for Monday against the White Sox.

"I'm really surprised," Collins said. "This guy's too good. He's just way too good to continue like this."

The abbreviated start saw Harvey's career-high ERA rise to 6.08 and his WHIP balloon to an inflated 1.69 after he allowed eight hits and two walks over five innings. Entering Tuesday's game, opposing hitters posted a .784 OPS in their second time up against Harvey, while slashing .500/.569/.700 in their third plate appearance.

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