Mets invite Harvey to camp

The Mets announced yesterday that they have invited top pitching prospect Matt Harvey to major-league camp in Port St. Lucie, Fla. It's very likely more of a reward than it is a chance to win a major-league roster spot.

Harvey, the Mets' first-round pick (seventh overall) in 2010, enjoyed a successful first pro season, striking out 156 in 135 2/3 innings. He began the season with Class A St. Lucie before graduating to Double-A Binghamton.

He turns 23 in March, so he isn't too young to pitch at the highest level. Yet the Mets have brought along their young players more deliberately since Sandy Alderson took over as general manager.

The Mets also announced that outfielder Matt den Dekker, their fifth-round selection in the 2010 draft, will receive an invitation to major-league spring training. He totaled 17 homers last year with St. Lucie and Binghamton.

Braun begins appeal

Ryan Braun's appeal of his positive drug test began before baseball arbitrator Shyam Das.

When the positive drug test was first reported last month for the National League MVP, a statement said there were circumstances supporting "Ryan's complete innocence."

Under the joint drug agreement between baseball teams and the players association, Braun will have to prove "the presence of a prohibited substance in his urine was not due to his fault or negligence."-- AP