Mickey Callaway, Sandy Alderson address Matt Harvey 'partying' report

New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Tuesday he met with reliever Matt Harvey about a report he "partied" in Los Angeles last Thursday, a day before he gave up a solo home run in a relief appearance against the San Diego Padres.

The New York Post reported Harvey was in Los Angeles for the opening ofAvra Beverly Hills.

Callaway said Harvey "walked me through the circumstances" and concluded "it wasn't a big deal" and "definitely didn't interfere with the way he pitched the next day."

"It is bad in the sense that it's getting publicity. And Matt has to be aware of that. Things he does, right or wrong, are going to be brought to the forefront. And we have to make sure that it's never a distraction from what we're trying to do as a team."

General manager Sandy Alderson also addressed the issue Tuesday and came to the same conclusion. But he said Harvey has to realize that everything he does is noticed by the New York media.

"Matt has to understand (that) people have always noticed what he does. We were talking today, it's like a borderline pitch. In his case it's always called a strike. ... He probably learned something from it," Alderson said.

Alderson was asked if he was upset by the report.

"Usually I get upset if a report is unexpected. So, I guess the short answer is no," he said.

Callaway said Harvey is still getting used to the routine of a relief pitcher after being a starting pitcher for most of his six major league seasons.

"The guys I've seen thrown into the pen have struggled with the same thing their first two to four or five outings and then they settle in. I think he'll do that. He's asking a lot of good questions and is being proactive in trying to get himself ready and try to compete," he said.

Harvey pitched again in the series against the Padres, throwing a scoreless ninth inning on Sunday to finish off a 14-2 victory. In three appearances since being demoted to the bullpen, Harvey has allowed two runs in four innings. Harvey lost his spot in the rotation after going 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in four starts this year.