Once-stable bullpen has turned into revolving door of arms

ST. LOUIS – The Nationals made it through the first two months of the season with only two changes to their Opening Day bullpen. On April 30, they called up Andres Machado after designating Anthony Banda for assignment. On May 20, they activated Chad Kuhl off the injured list and moved him to the bullpen, optioning Hobie Harris to Triple-A Rochester.

That’s all Mike Rizzo had to do with his bullpen for two months, the kind of stability rarely seen in these parts.

Later today, the Nationals are expected to place Hunter Harvey on the IL with an arm injury the extent of which won’t be known until they get results of the MRI, he returned to Washington to have done. That will represent the ninth bullpen change they’ve made in the last six weeks, a dramatic number of moves that have been necessitated both by injuries and poor performances.

When it’s all said and done, only two members of the Opening Day relief corps will remain on the active roster: Kyle Finnegan and Mason Thompson. That’s not the kind of stability any organization aspires to maintain.

It remains to be seen how much time Harvey will miss, but there is legitimate concern among club officials about the 28-year-old right-hander, given his extensive injury history since the Orioles made him their first round pick in the 2013 draft. A 3-mph drop in fastball velocity Saturday afternoon, combined with Harvey’s admission of soreness near his right triceps, sounded alarm bells in Davey Martinez’s mind.

“He wants to pitch. He wants to go out there and help us win,” the manager said. “But I’ve got to be smart about it, because of his background and his history, and try the best we can to keep him healthy. And if this becomes an issue, make sure we nip it in the bud before it becomes a bigger issue.”

Harvey hasn’t been perfect this season, far from it. But his 3.12 ERA, 0.992 WHIP and 10 strikeouts per nine innings are best among all Nationals relievers. And the mere fact he appeared in 39 games before first experiencing any discomfort was a significant win in itself for the snakebit righty and the organization that took a chance on him last year.

Even if he misses only the minimum 15 days, Harvey’s absence will be felt by a Nats bullpen that has had a clear demarcation between its top members and everyone else. Harvey, Finnegan, Thompson and Jordan Weems had established themselves as Martinez’s most trusted relievers, with Weems recently replacing the injured Carl Edwards Jr. in that category.

Everyone else who has cycled through so far this season has been unable to earn the manager’s unyielding trust.

It feels like an eternity at this point, but do you remember Erasmo Ramirez, Hobie Harris, Anthony Banda and Thaddeus Ward? All were part of the Opening Day bullpen. None are still a part of it, with Ramirez and Banda now pitching in Rochester, Ramirez now pitching in the Rays organization and Ward now residing on the Nats’ 15-day IL.

Others who have come and gone include Andres Machado, Kuhl and Joe La Sorsa (who could be heading back to the big leagues to take Harvey’s place).

The other in-season additions (Cory Abbott, Paolo Espino, Amos Willingham, Jose A. Ferrer, Joan Adon) have had their moments, but none has proven consistently effective enough to move into regular high-leverage duties.

How, though, is Martinez supposed to manage this ever-changing group now? Finnegan and Thompson will be used in the late innings when the Nationals lead, are tied or perhaps trail by one run in a winnable game. Weems, who struggled mightily during Sunday’s loss, will probably take on a prominent setup role. Ferrer, who allowed two runners he inherited from Weems to score Sunday, will have to face some imposing left-handed sluggers wearing other teams’ uniforms.

It all makes for a tenuous situation, and we haven’t even raised the possibility one or more of these pitchers could be dealt before the Aug. 1 trade deadline, should Rizzo receive an offer he can’t refuse.

Maybe that’s just the way it is on a rebuilding team. Few sub-.500 clubs boast deep and effective bullpens.

But as they await word on Harvey’s MRI, desperately hoping it’s not anything serious, forgive the Nationals for wondering what exactly they can reasonably expect from a relief corps that looked stable earlier this season but has since become a revolving door of available arms.