NEW YORK -- Mets ace Matt Harvey's rehab from Tommy John surgery is headed into offseason hibernation.
Harvey's 2014 workload concluded with a simulated game on the main mound at Citi Field on Monday afternoon, general manager Sandy Alderson said.
During the session, the Mets put a radar gun on Harvey for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery on Oct. 22. Harvey was reaching 95 mph "pretty consistently," Alderson said, even though the right-hander was not throwing at 100 percent.
When Harvey arrives for spring training, his routine will be on par with other starting pitchers, Alderson said. Harvey already has mentioned that he expects to be on the mound Opening Day at Citi Field, facing the Washington Nationals.
"Everything we were trying to accomplish this season has been accomplished," Alderson said. "From our standpoint, we want to make sure he was physically back to a level that would ensure he wasn't behind in spring training. And then, secondly, he needed to be back to a state mentally where he felt comfortable going into next season and the uncertainty has been eliminated. We feel we're at that point.
"He hasn't thrown against hitters. He hasn't throw in games. But given the schedule and the natural healing process and everything else, we felt this was the right place for him to stop and rest and pick it up next season."
Harvey threw all his pitches during Monday's session except for the slider. Team officials asked him not to throw that pitch because it might put unnecessary strain on his right elbow seven months before he will pitch in a regular-season game.
The Mets similarly did not allow Harvey to face batters this year to avoid Harvey expending too much adrenaline too soon.
Alderson conceded that Harvey likely will be on a more restrictive innings count next season than he will be in 2016. Still, the GM said the Mets need to study other pitchers who returned from Tommy John surgery within a similar time frame before devising a precise plan.
"Exactly how next year might differ from another year is to be determined," Alderson said.
As for whether the Mets might have to shut down Harvey because of an innings cap and have him unavailable for the postseason next year, Alderson said: "There's no question that you could structure it in a way that gives you more room at the end. Again, that's something we'll look at a little bit later."