Mets fans have spent the last two days going apoplectic about the fact that R.A. Dickey won't be starting the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Kansas City.
Their anger at Tony LaRussa's decision is justified, but they may want to turn their attention elsewhere. There are issues that will actually impact the team's ability to win in the second half and one of them cropped up on Tuesday afternoon.
Dillon Gee was set to start the Mets' return to action on Friday, but he's heading to the disabled list instead after experiencing numbness in the fingers of his right hand over the weekend. Doctors found a blood clot in the artery of his right shoulder, which they were able to break up, and Gee will remain hospitalized for the next couple of days to monitor the situation.
There's no timetable for Gee's return at this point and it is hard to suggest a course of action for the Mets until they know how long they are going to be without Gee. If he'll be back in a couple of weeks, the team could swallow hard and throw Miguel Batista or some other mediocrity out there for one start.
If Gee's going to be out longer than that, though, the team will have to decide whether or not to turn to Matt Harvey. Harvey's done well at Triple-A and is thought to be on the cusp of the major leagues already.
While you wouldn't want to rush things for a pitcher expected to be a long-term solution to pitching needs, the difference might only be a matter of weeks and there's no decent veteran option on hand to step in for Gee over the remainder of the season. Under those circumstances, promoting Harvey would allow the Mets to get a slight jump on the coming roster renovation while also keeping hope alive of grabbing a playoff spot this season.
Regardless of what happens with Harvey, the loss of Gee will force Chris Young into a bigger role while also upping the pressure on the bullpen as lesser starters mean more work for the relief corps. The latter issue could be the real fallout from the Gee injury unless Sandy Alderson finds a way to shore up the gasoline factory that is the current pen.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.
