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Kansas City Royals sign Matt Harvey prior to Opening Day

By Leigh Oleszczak

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 23: Matt Harvey #33 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches in the first inning of the gameagainst the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 23, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 23: Matt Harvey #33 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches in the first inning of the gameagainst the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 23, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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The Kansas City Royals are thin in their starting rotation and that’s why the signing of pitcher Matt Harvey makes sense, especially right before Opening Day.

Opening Day is Friday evening for the Kansas City Royals and due to several positive COVID-19 tests, the starting rotation is down to just three pitchers. Brad Keller and Jakob Junis will miss the start of the season due to their positive tests, so that initially left Danny Duffy and Mike Montgomery, but now Brady Singer is getting the nod to start this weekend.

So, the Royals went out and they brought in The Dark Knight himself, Matt Harvey.

Yes, this is the same Matt Harvey who the Royals faced in the 2015 World Series when he was a member of the New York Mets. This is the same Matt Harvey who begged his manager to let him return for another inning and promptly allowed the game to be tied by inning’s end.

But now, that same Matt Harvey is going to be a member of the Kansas City Royals.

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After being a first round pick in 2010 by the Mets, Harvey rose to the top of the Mets rotation and was a star. Injuries had taken their toll on him, however, and by 2016, he was no longer the same effective pitcher he had been the previous years.

Harvey spent the second half of 2018 with the Reds and was a member of the Angels last year. He was pretty bad in Los Angeles, throwing just 59.2 innings and posting an ERA over seven.

Harvey is only 31 years old and is honestly joining the Royals as a rotational depth piece until they get Keller and Junis back. The rotation has been thrown for a loop with COVID-19 sweeping the nation and now the Royals don’t have to rush either one of them back.

We shouldn’t expect anything major from Harvey. He’ll help out with the depth situation and the worst thing that happens is he only makes a handful of spot starts and is released a few weeks from now. The best that can happen is he ends up pitching well and can be a big part of the rotation this year.

Obviously Royals fans will feel nostalgic seeing Harvey on the mound, but it’ll be weird to see him donning the Royals logo across his chest this time around. I’m sure it’ll be a bit awkward for him too, but with a few tough seasons under his belt, Matt Harvey is out to prove he can still pitch for a Major League Baseball team.

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