Five weeks into the season, the Orioles have to be wondering if they will ever get healthy.
After a day when infielder Ryan Flaherty (groin) went back on the disabled list just four days after coming off it, there could be another roster move coming Wednesday.
Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia will see team doctors Wednesday and could head to the DL. The nature of Garcia's injury is unclear, but there's no secret that his velocity has come down from spring training when his fastball was consistently hitting the high 90s. According to FanGraphs, Garcia's average fastball velocity is just 93.1 mph in the regular season.
Right-hander Mike Wright will be in Baltimore on Wednesday and will be ready to be activated to give the Orioles bullpen help if Garcia goes on the DL. Wright has never pitched in the big leagues.
Wright has pitched extremely well at Triple-A, going 3-0 with a 2.64 ERA in six starts at Triple-A Norfolk. He has allowed 25 hits over 30 2/3 innings with 30 strikeouts and nine walks.
With the Orioles rotation set, Wright knew during the spring that his best opportunity to pitch in the majors this season was likely going to be out of the bullpen, especially since he can be sent back and forth between the majors and minors.
He could get his chance in the big leagues tonight.
One thing to note about Rule 5 picks, they must stay on the active roster for 90 days to satisfy the Rule 5 draft requirements.
Garcia has logged nearly 37 days, so if he goes on the disabled list, he'll still need to remain an active player for another 53 days at some point this season. That time, however, can include when rosters expand in September.
The 22-year-old has posted a 5.93 ERA in eight relief appearances for the Orioles. He has allowed 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits over 13 2/3 innings, but the biggest issue for Garcia has been control. He has walked 11 (one intentional), including four in his last appearance, a 2 1/3-inning outing on Sunday in New York.
The Orioles also received some disappointing news down on the farm. Top pitching prospect Hunter Harvey will also be examined by team doctors today after feeling elbow tightness in his most recent start in extended spring training.
Harvey, 20, seemed to be making progress in his return from a stress fracture in his right shin, working up to pitching a five-inning outing before joining a minor league affiliate.
Harvey left his most-recent outing after just two innings because of tightness in his elbow.
Keep in mind that Harvey was shut down after feeling elbow discomfort in late July. The Orioles were extremely careful with his recovery then and they will continue to be.
After pitching in just 87 2/3 innings last season, Harvey was likely to increase his innings count to about 100-120 innings this season. Whether he reaches that number now is uncertain.
The Orioles also believed this was going to be Harvey's season to move up through the minor league system, and some believed he could help the major league club down the stretch late in the season.
eencina@baltsun.com
twitter.com/EddieInTheYard