Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey will be out indefinitely with tightness in his right elbow, O's manager Buck Showalter said following the team's 6-1 win on Wednesday.
Harvey was in Baltimore on Wednesday to be examined by team orthopedist Dr. Michael Jacobs and also received an MRI. Working his way back from a slight fracture in his right shin he suffered in spring training, Harvey left his most-recent extended spring training start on Sunday after just two innings.
"He's not going to be throwing for a while," Showalter said. "He's going to take some time [off]. We don't feel like there's anything other than rest prescribed at this point. There's nothing that we feel like requires surgery. We'll see if they want to get another opinion."
Showalter said he expects Harvey to pitch again this season.
Even though the Orioles feel Harvey will not need surgery, the team will welcome Harvey getting a second opinion, Showalter said.
"It was pretty good news all things considered," Showalter said. "I'm sure they're going to take some time off and we'll see if he wants to get a second opinion and we feel confident if it happens, it will concur with what our people say."
Pitching for low-A Delmarva, Harvey was shut down for the final month of last season with elbow tightness. He received a clean bill of health in the offseason and was allowed to resume normal preparation for spring training.
Harvey, the Orioles' first-round pick in 2013, threw just 87 2/3 innings in last year before he was shut down, but the Orioles had high hopes for him this season and believed he could move through the minor league system quickly. He was even considered a possibility for the major league club late in the season, even though he was likely only going to pitch about 110-120 innings in 2015.
eencina@baltsun.com
twitter.com/EddieInTheYard