Mets' Collins sticking with 6-man rotation, tells Harvey to 'get over it'

Matt Harvey wants to pitch every fifth day, but his manager would much prefer he's still throwing in September. Weighing the needs of both is proving to be a more difficult task than Terry Collins bargained for.

Harvey, who expressed initial concern over the New York Mets' proposed six-man rotation, revisited the hot-button topic Saturday after struggling in a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The hard-throwing right-hander said he had trouble finding his rhythm and suggested his lack of bullpen work between starts was partially to blame.

Collins heard the concerns and offered some succinct advice: "Get over it."

After strong performances recently from rookies Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, the Mets appear more determined than ever to stick with their six-man plan.

Collins said it enables the club to better manage the work loads – and potential innings limits – of Harvey, who's just 16 starts into his Tommy John comeback, and their other young starters, including 2014 Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom. From MLB.com:

They've got to (deal with it). Matt knows that. I know he's frustrated by it, and he and I have talked about it. But you've got to come up and be creative between starts. I certainly understand it. I certainly do understand it. He's a tremendous competitor and he wants to be out there as much as he can on a regular basis. I guess the easiest way for me to say it is, 'Matt, we'll go back to a five-man, but I hope you enjoy watching the rest of the season sitting on the bench in September when we need you.' So we've got to make the adjustment.

For his part, Harvey said he's willing to tweak his routine to make the best of the situation. The 26-year-old plans to follow the lead of his teammates and incorporate an extra bullpen session between starts.