When Marcus Stroman was placed on the Injured List Wednesday with a torn calf muscle, Matt Harvey’s name may have popped into Mets fans’ minds as a potential replacement in the rotation.

But that won’t be the case.

According to multiple reports, Harvey is heading to the Kansas City Royals on a minor-league deal.

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman was the first to report that the two sides were close to a deal. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that Harvey’s contract is very incentive-heavy, but if he pitches well, he’s likely to find himself in the rotation for the Royals, a team in need of starting pitching depth.

In June, reports circulated that Harvey was willing to go to Korea or Japan to continue playing if he couldn’t find a new MLB team. WFAN's Boomer Esiason even reported that Harvey had reached out to the Mets about a possible reunion and that the Mets might consider it, though SNY Insider Andy Martino had previously reported that any such reunion was not very likely to happen.

The former Mets first-rounder last pitched in the majors with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, pitching to a 7.09 ERA in 12 starts before being released in July. He was later signed by the Oakland A's on a minor-league deal, but never reached the majors.

Harvey spent parts of six seasons with the Mets before Tommy John and thoracic outlet surgery ultimately helped end his time in New York.

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