Matt Harvey says he's 'ahead of schedule' after Tommy John surgery

Matt Harvey underwent Tommy John surgery in Florida last week. (Richard Schultz/Getty Images)

In his first public comments since undergoing Tommy John surgery, New York Mets starter Matt Harvey declared himself "ahead of schedule" in his early rehabilitation.

“I am just doing range of motion stuff now, but today was the first day I could take the bandages off. And I was at (Hospital for Special Surgery) working and everybody thinks I am ahead of schedule,” Harvey told the New York Daily News' Kristie Ackert outside the New York Rangers' game at Madison Square Garden on Monday. “We were able to straighten it today and I think they were surprised I could do that, already.

 “So the rehab is ahead of schedule."

The 24-year-old Harvey was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow in late August. Originally, because the tear was partial, he had hoped to rehab it without having to undergo surgery.

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In the end, with consultation from Dr. James Andrews, the decision was made to undergo surgery. Harvey underwent successful surgery last week, but he is likely to miss all of 2014 while rehabbing the elbow.

"This was definitely a tough decision and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect," he told the Daily News.