Harvey heads home for MRI, likely headed to IL (updated)

ST. LOUIS – Given his lengthy history of injuries, the mere fact Hunter Harvey made it through the first half of this season healthy was considered a win for the Nationals. The fact the 28-year-old right-hander also pitched well enough to assume the closer’s role and become one of Davey Martinez’s most trusted relievers was icing on the cake.

So when Harvey took the mound for the ninth inning Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, saw the velocity on his fastball drop several miles per hour and later reported soreness in the back of his triceps, the Nats were understandably concerned.

“He’s one of our top-end guys in the back of our bullpen,” Martinez said. “So we want to make sure we keep an eye on him.”

It appears that plan ultimately will include a stint on the injured list.

The Nationals sent Harvey back to Washington today to get an MRI, playing a man down in their bullpen for their series finale against the Cardinals (an 8-4 loss). They'll have to wait for MRI results before deciding a course of action, but at minimum Harvey is likely to spend 15 days on the IL.

“I’d rather be very careful, very cautious with him,” Martinez said after the game. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow, but more than likely we’ll have to IL him.”

Harvey entered for the bottom of the 10th in Saturday’s conclusion of Friday night’s suspended game and actually retired the side on nine pitches to earn the save in a 7-5 victory. But he did with diminished velocity.

Harvey’s average fastball velocity this season is 98.6 mph, but he threw as low as 93.9 mph Saturday and topped out at 97.7 mph, raising red flags in the Nats dugout. When asked afterward by Martinez about it, Harvey noted soreness in his triceps, above the back of the elbow.

Martinez had Harvey get an X-ray at Busch Stadium between games, checking his elbow in case he had bone spurs. Doctors told him “everything was clean” on the X-ray, but that image only shows any issues with bones. An MRI will determine if there's any soft tissue injury.

The Nationals might be less concerned if this happened to another pitcher, but Harvey’s entire professional career is littered with injury woes. He has made four trips to the major league IL since 2020, the first three of them while with the Orioles. And that doesn’t include several other significant injuries he suffered before making his major league debut in 2019.

All told, Harvey has made only 103 major league appearances, though he’s been quite successful when healthy. He’s the owner of a 2.96 ERA and 1.094 WHIP, with 113 strikeouts in 103 1/3 innings. The son of former All-Star closer Bryan Harvey, he has recorded the first nine saves of his big league career this season.

The Nationals took a flier on Harvey via waiver claim last year, and though he did miss time early in the 2022 season, he has maintained good health since and has been available for the heaviest workload of his career.

“He’s very diligent about his work, what he does,” Martinez said. “Not just when he pitches, but when he’s with the trainers. He’s working out with our strength guys. He’s keeping himself in great shape. That’s a testament that he wants to get better. He comes from a background where his dad pitched in the back end of the bullpen, so he understands what he needs to do, and he goes out there and does his job.”

If Harvey misses any time, the Nationals would likely slide Kyle Finnegan back into the closer’s role and ask Mason Thompson and Jordan Weems to handle setup duties. They’re also missing veteran setup man Carl Edwards Jr., who has been on the IL since June 20 with right shoulder inflammation.