Matt Harvey on Potential Bullpen Move Amid Struggles: 'I'm a Starting Pitcher'

After another rough outing Thursday, New York Mets starting pitcher Matt Harvey downplayed talk of a potential move to the bullpen.

When asked about the possibility of being dropped from the starting rotation, Harvey said, "I'm a starting pitcher. I've always been a starting pitcher. That's my mindset," according to ESPN.com.

Harvey surrendered eight hits, one walk and six earned runs in six innings during Thursday's 12-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Overall this season, Harvey is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in four starts. He has also allowed a batting average of .302 against and struck out 17 batters in 21.0 innings pitched.

While Harvey is adamant about his role, Mets manager Mickey Callaway didn't commit to him as part of his rotation in the immediate future after Thursday's game: "We haven't made that determination yet. We'll see moving forward. I'm not sure what we're going to do."

The 29-year-old was once among the most promising pitchers in the game, but he has struggled mightily through injuries and inconsistent performances over the past three seasons.

After posing a sub-3.00 ERA in each of his first three MLB campaigns, Harvey has registered an ERA of 4.86 or worse in each of his past three seasons.

Harvey's high point came in 2013, when he went 9-5 with a 2.27 ERA and was named an All-Star. He also finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting.

He had a strong 2015 season as well after missing all of 2014 due to Tommy John surgery, but everything since then has been a struggle.

Last season, Harvey made 18 starts and appeared in 19 games overall, finishing with a career-worst ERA of 6.70.

With both Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo capable of entering the starting rotation from the bullpen and Jason Vargas scheduled to pitch in a minor league rehab game Sunday, Harvey's status as a starting pitcher is very much in jeopardy, regardless of his feelings on the matter.