The Dark Knight returns: Harvey to make 1st start since July

The Dark Knight is back.

New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey will make his first regular-season start since last July when he takes the hill against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on Thursday.

Harvey has spent the past 10 months recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, which involved the removal of one of his ribs after he experienced numbness and a lack of sensation in his throwing arm.

The 28-year-old, who struggled to a 4-10 record with a 4.86 ERA last season before being shut down for the year, saw an uptick in his velocity and felt good as spring training wound down over a week ago.

"The numbers early in spring - and still - don't really explain how I feel about moving forward," Harvey said. "I couldn't be happier where I am now and moving forward. I feel I'm ready for a good season."

Related: Harvey touches 97 mph in spring start for Mets

Harvey will once again form a stellar top three in the Mets' rotation, following Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, who both pitched well in their season debuts, combining to hold the Braves scoreless over 12 innings.

Prior to 2016, Harvey, an All-Star in 2013, was counted on as one of the leaders of the Mets' pitching staff, having never posted an ERA over 2.73 while amassing 449 strikeouts in 427 innings.