The Orioles have placed Hunter Harvey back on the injured list with a right lat strain, per Rich Dubroff of baltimorebaseball.com. Harvey’s career continues to switchback from potential high-impact arm to star-crossed former prospect. The former first round pick has produced promising bottom-line results since moving to the bullpen full-time in 2019, though his opportunities has been limited because of injuries. This season, the 26-year-old appeared nine times for 8 2/3 innings of work with a 4.15 ERA/4.31 FIP. He’s shown decent control (8.3 percent walk rate), but for the second consecutive season, he has struck out less than 17 percent of opposing batters, a rate that falls well below the 23.3 percent league average (small sample caveats apply). Harvey now goes back on the 10-day injured list, not quite a month since coming off it: He missed the first 64 days of the year with an oblique injury.
Zac Lowther has been added to the active roster to claim Harvey’s roster spot. The 25-year-old southpaw made his Major League debut earlier this season, starting one game and pitching twice out of the bullpen, covering a total 5 1/3 innings. Lowther was knocked around for nine earned runs on 11 hits. On the plus side, he only allowed two walks — good for a 6.9 percent walk rate — and he missed some bats, posting a solid 24.1 percent strikeout rate. Because of the small sample, both the good and the bad here can be taken with a grain of salt. Lowther was the O’s No. 19 ranked prospect by Baseball America entering the season.
Baltimore also received bad news on Travis Lakins, who left his first start of the year earlier this week in just the second inning. Manager Brandon Hyde said that Lakins has a “significant elbow injury,” Dubroff noted. The 27-year-old right-hander has been a reliever for the O’s, pitching 23 times out of the pen before starting last Tuesday’s game. He has not, however, proved particularly effective in either role, logging a 5.79 ERA/5.11 SIERA in 28 innings. He’s neither missed very many bats (19.5 strikeout rate) nor done enough to limit free passes (13.8 percent walk rate). Still, his ability to handle multiple innings had value for the Orioles, who will dig deeper into the organization to fill innings.
Hunter is such a disappointment to an already overwrought Team and Fanbase.
He gives me the impression that isn’t interested in pushing-through minor injuries.
A totally wasted First Round pick.
The decision to be IL’d is the team’s. Some players are simply injury prone.
Not sure the O’s FA base is in fact overwrought. (I know I love what they’re doing as do many others I speak to.) Also, your impression seems a bit misguided: I think Harvey really wants to pitch but he simply cannot (!) stay healthy. Really too bad.
yeah, I mean this team is rebuliding and Harvey was hardly their only prospect hope.
I’m so tired of these character assassinations based on players getting hurt. They don’t want to get hurt, and they want to play. Being healthy and effective helps their teams and their bank accounts.
Teams are more cautious because they’ve invested in the players as opposed to “the good old days” when they would just grab the next dirt-cheap player to replace someone whose career was wiped out by injury.
He was supposed to be the greatest thing since Walter Johnson. He had the Swihart Hall of Fame stamp of approval. Another in the long line of overrated Orioles prospects. I mean, all teams have them, but the O’s go totally overboard.
Fans expecting any pitcher to be “the greatest thing since Walter Johnson” are really setting themselves up for disappointment. Some prospects work out, some don’t. It’s the nature of the game, and it’s true for every team.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
For Harvey or Orioles fans?
@ The Fever
It is only a mere flesh wound
Harvey’s mullet is simply legendary, it deserves its own roster spot. Also, until today I never realized that Hunter is the son of former Angel and Marlin closer Bryan Harvey; I remember Bryan having a few outstanding seasons before getting wrecked by injuries.
the injuries run in the family
Injuries run in the baseball family, especially this season.
Hunter Harvey is another Dan Klein. Klein finished his Orioles minor league career with a 0.93 ERA and a list of injuries as long as his arm. Harvey should follow Klein’s example and hang it up.
I feel bad for the guy. He is constantly hurt. I hope one day he has a long lasting career with very few injuries and even getting a chance to be a starting pitcher for which he was drafted for.