Mets place Matt Harvey on disabled list with shoulder discomfort

The Mets have placed Matt Harvey on the disabled with right should discomfort, the team announced Wednesday.

Harvey will travel to St. Louis to see Dr. Robert Thompson, a vascular surgeon who has operated on numerous baseball pitchers—including former Cardinals starter Kip Wells—for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a condition in which the collarbone and the top rib come together, pinching nerves, ribs, and arteries. The Mets have not said what condition Harvey was referred for.

The injury comes amid the worst season of Harvey’s career. After never posting an ERA above 2.73 in any of his three major league seasons, the right-hander has an ERA of 4.86 in 92.2 innings and leads the National League with 10 losses. He allowed six runs in 3.2 innings in his most recent start against the Marlins. After averaging 95.9 MPH in 2015 on his fastball in 2015, he was hitting 94.5 this year, according to Fangraphs.com.

Last year, Harvey threw 210 innings between the regular season and the playoffs. In September, with Harvey approaching 170 innings, his agent, Scott Boras, warned that if Harvey surpassed 180 innings he would be at risk for injury. After a brief controversy, Boras, Harvey, and the Mets agreed on a plan to space out Harvey for the end of the season and the playoffs.

The Mets have called up right-hander Seth Lugo to replace Harvey on the roster. Lugo has a 6.55 ERA in 68.2 innings for Triple-A Las Vegas. He threw two shutout innings against the Cubs in his major league debut last Friday.