Harvey realizes pitching in 2014 is unlikely

Harvey acknowledged Tuesday that because the Mets have pushed back his Tommy John rehab schedule, a 2014 return to the big leagues seems as unrealistic as ever.

"I'm always going to be on board with what they have to say," Harvey said of the Mets and their doctors. "I can only do so much, and speak my two cents. As a competitor, I'm always going to want to get out there, but I can't write myself out there and set up my own program, so whatever they have set up is obviously the way we're going to go."

Harvey planned to meet with staff members Tuesday to draw up his revamped rehab schedule. He was originally supposed to throw off a mound for the first time Tuesday, but rehab coordinator Jon Debus informed him last week that the Mets planned to decelerate his itinerary. General manager Sandy Alderson later added that the Mets will not let Harvey throw competitively until 11 full months have passed since surgery, all but eliminating any chance Harvey had at pitching in the big leagues before 2015.

"I think it's always been there," Harvey said of the unlikelihood of returning this year. "I think it was a matter of me not wanting it to happen. I still want to pitch this year. That's always going to be on my mind. But coming to realize that I can't write myself in the lineup is becoming a little bit more realistic."

Alderson tells Collins that his job is safe

Terry Collins signed a contract extension at the end of last season.

NEW YORK -- Mets general manager Sandy Alderson met with Terry Collins prior to Tuesday's game against the Brewers to assure the manager that his job is safe.

Alderson said he felt the meeting was necessary due to a fresh round of tabloid rumors surrounding Collins' job security.

"Sometimes you have to address topics you wouldn't otherwise because of all of the noise that surrounds the situation," the GM said. "That's kind of it in a nutshell. You have to take a little bit longer view of things. The first game in Chicago, had we won that, we were a .500 team. Now we're seven under. A lot of stuff has happened in the last week, but nothing so shocking or surprising."