Report: Mets' poor communication may have led to Harvey's bad start

Things just keep getting worse for the New York Mets.

The Mets lost their sixth consecutive game Thursday and star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was helped off the field with a hamstring injury, hours after ace Noah Syndergaard was scratched from the start with a "tired arm."

Matt Harvey filled in for Syndergaard, but proved ineffective, allowing six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

His poor showing may have been a result of poor communication on the Mets' part, however. Harvey was not given any indication he would start until three hours before game time, even though the Mets apparently knew about Syndergaard's arm, reports Marc Carig of Newsday.

Harvey worked out hard Wednesday and his body was tired heading into the start, according to Carig.

The apparent communication breakdown is just another issue in what's turning out to be a messy start to the season for the Mets, who sit last in the National League East at 8-13.

On top of Cespedes' hamstring problem and Syndergaard's arm issue, New York has demonstrated a complete inability to hit the baseball (.209 team average, last in the NL) while dealing with a plethora of injuries to key players such as David Wright, Lucas Duda, Wilmer Flores, Steven Matz, and Seth Lugo, as well as Jeurys Familia's domestic violence suspension.

Syndergaard apparently blew off reporters after Thursday's loss and ripped into the team's PR representative, Jay Horwitz, for letting reporters approach him, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Shaky times in New York for the Mets, who head to Washington to play a three-game set against the hot-hitting Nationals beginning Friday.