Mets pitcher Matt Harvey was scratched from his final spring training appearance because he had a blood clot in his bladder, the ace pitcher told the media Tuesday.
Harvey told several outlets Tuesday morning that the clot was caused because he doesn't use the bathroom often enough but said that now "everything feels great."
He added that he should be able to play by opening day.
"I guess it started with a bladder infection that created a blood clot in the bladder," Harvey said. "Passed it yesterday. It wasn't a great first day of my 27th birthday, but I cleared that and we had a little procedure done this morning just to go in and check the bladder, and everything was clear.
According to MLB.com, Harvey started feeling discomfort while urinating on Sunday. Pain increased during the evening, and he told team officials about the issue Monday morning. He went to the hospital later that day, passed the clot and was back at the team's training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Tuesday morning.
Harvey, who had a bandage on his right hand and a hospital bracelet on his left wrist, said he will not have to undergo further tests or procedures.
"I didn't really know what was going on," Harvey said. "I was having trouble using the restroom, and obviously any time there's discoloration in your urine, it's not a great feeling. So I didn't know what was going on with my stomach. But we had some tests yesterday and everything's fine now."
Sports
Harvey said that he plans to "retrain" himself to take more bathroom breaks, according to MLB.com.
Mets captain David Wright said he was in contact with Harvey the past few days.
"Obviously from a personal standpoint it's a relief because you want to see guys in good health," Wright said. "You never want to see anything else. And then from a baseball standpoint it's good news as well. Good news on all fronts. Should be ready to roll and glad it's basically a non-issue."
The team announced that Harvey had a medical issue Monday afternoon but didn't specify the nature of his ailment, sparking speculation about whether he'd be ready to play a season-opening game against the Kansas City Royals on April 3.
