Baltimore Orioles: Prospect Hunter Harvey could start throwing next week
By Ben Palmer
One of the Baltimore Orioles’ top pitching prospects, Hunter Harvey, could start throwing next week as he recovers from receiving Tommy John surgery last season.
One of the Baltimore Orioles’ top pitching prospects, 21-year-old Hunter Harvey who had Tommy John surgery last season, could begin throwing as early as next week, per Eduardo A. Encina.
Harvey, whom we recently named the number three overall prospect in the Baltimore Orioles’ system, has struggled with injuries so far in his young career.
He missed all of the 2015 season with two different injuries: a fractured fibula thanks to a comeback shot in spring training, and a flexor mass strain later in the year. He came back briefly in the 2016 season until he needed Tommy John surgery.
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It’s a good sign that he’ll be throwing soon, but don’t expect to see Harvey on the mound anywhere for quite some time, as the Orioles will more than likely be extremely cautious with him. Likely, Harvey won’t pitch in a game until the end of the 2017 season, but more likely the beginning of the 2018 season. We probably won’t see him in the majors until the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019.
Injured pitching prospects is, unfortunately, a familiar tune for Baltimore Orioles fans. Dylan Bundy, another first-round pick, struggled with injuries too, missing all of the 2013 season after having Tommy John surgery, and missing all of 2015 with a shoulder injury.
However, Bundy came back and turned into a decent pitcher with a lot of potential for the Orioles last season, going 10-6 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.38 WHIP over 109.2 innings. Hopefully, Harvey can do something similar.
If Harvey can get healthy, he has the potential to be a really good starting pitcher for the Orioles. He has fantastic stuff, including a fastball that sits around 94-95 mph, and a curveball that honestly has the potential to be one of the best in the league.
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Fortunately, Tommy John surgeries are so common in baseball now, that their success rate is relatively high. Also, Harvey is only 21 years old, so he’s got plenty of time on his side. Hopefully by the time he’s Bundy’s age (24), we’ll be talking about how great of a starting pitcher he is.