The last time Matt Harvey took the mound at Citi Field, there were nearly 35,000 fans in the stands, the defending champion Chicago Cubs were in the visitors’ dugout, and the Mets’ 2017 playoff chances had yet to be pronounced dead.

On Tuesday, Harvey’s only opponent was his teammate Brandon Nimmo, and the spectators were a small crowd that included Manager Terry Collins, the pitching coach Dan Warthen, a handful of early-arriving members of the news media and stadium vendors.

And in contrast with that June 14 game against the Cubs, Harvey did not leave the mound against his will, nor was his outing cut short by injury.

“It was finally fun to throw a baseball again,” Harvey said.

Whether you call it a simulated game, live batting practice or a glorified bullpen session, Harvey’s first appearance on a mound since that June game was yet another step in the process that he and Collins think will culminate in a return to action before the end of this season.