Matt Harvey Tweets Middle Finger Photo 6 Months After Tommy John Surgery, Deletes Twitter Account

Injured New York Mets pitcher Matt Harvey deleted his Twitter account on Tuesday after posting a controversial tribute to his ongoing recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Harvey, 25, is now six months removed from the Tommy John surgery that will likely sideline him for the entire 2014 season. On Tuesday, the second-year pitcher celebrated the milestone by posting a photo of himself giving the middle finger in a hospital bed.

“I can’t believe it’s been 6 months already #tommyjohn,” Harvey wrote. The middle finger photo drew an immediate reaction on social media, as fans speculated as to whether or not the image was appropriate.

Within minutes of its posting, Harvey deleted the photo. Shortly thereafter, he deleted his entire Twitter account; he gave no indication about whether deleting the account was his decision or a mandate from Mets management.

The controversy surrounding Harvey’s middle finger tweet occurred mere weeks after the Mets star publicly clashed with team management over the handling of his rehab. Harvey desired to stay with the team and recover in New York, while Mets General Manager Sandy Alderson and his confidants wanted Harvey to stay at the team’s facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Ultimately, the two sides compromised, with Harvey agreeing to split rehab time between the two locations.

This isn’t the first time that activity on Harvey’s Twitter account has made national headlines. In September 2013, he took to Twitter to apologize for an awkward appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.” During the appearance, Harvey ignored several questions about his decision to undergo Tommy John surgery in favor of plugging Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:QCOM).