Wondering what's next for Hunter Harvey

Hunter Harvey moved closer to his reinstatement from the 10-day injured list by working the sixth inning last night with Triple-A Norfolk. The one run allowed won't matter as long as felt good afterward and this morning.

The Charlotte Knights loaded the bases with no outs on three consecutive soft singles, beginning with former Orioles farmhand Yermín Mercedes. Harvey induced three ground balls, getting a force at home on the first. A 4-3 putout plated the run.

Harvey threw 20 pitches, 13 for strikes. The stadium radar gun clocked his fastball at 96-97 mph.

I can't vouch for its accuracy in Charlotte.

Is one rehab game sufficient for a reliever who hadn't pitched since June 28 in Houston?

It's been so long ago, some fans probably think Harvey's on the injured list after straining his oblique in spring training. Easy to forget that he returned to the club and made his 2021 debut on June 4.

Harvey lasted nine appearances. His 10th never got off the ground because Harvey strained his right lat while warming in the visiting bullpen on June 30 at Minute Maid Park.

A MASN camera showed Harvey throwing down the ball in frustration. Paul Fry was rushed into the game and the Orioles completed their sweep.

On the same night, third baseman Maikel Franco sprained his ankle while chasing a foul ball on the last play.

This is why the Orioles can't have nice things.

Manager Brandon Hyde speculated that Harvey could be out for a month, but injuries always seem to take longer to heal.

Hyde always can use a high-leverage reliever and will settle for a low-leverage guy. Anyone who gets outs and consumes innings. Anyone capable of stopping the bleeding.

Harvey will be handled carefully, of course, while also tossed into the fray. There's only so much easing back that can be done here.

His luck needs to get better in a season that began late because of a strained oblique suffered on his first pitch of an exhibition game.

This is an important stretch of games for Harvey as the Orioles decide exactly what to do with the former first-round pick. He has a 4.15 ERA in 8 2/3 innings, used for one or fewer in seven appearances, and his stats are eerily similar to 2020.

Harvey had the same ERA last summer in the same number of innings, with eight hits allowed again and the same six strikeouts. His three walks are one more than last year.

He turns 27 in December and still isn't eligible for arbitration until the following winter. The Orioles probably will just keep trying until they can get a full season out of him and hope he becomes established as an intimidating late-inning weapon.

According to Norfolk's game notes, the Tides have made 178 transactions and is on pace for 263 this season, which would set the record as an Orioles affiliate. Reliever Adam Plutko is the 37th player to join the Tides and Orioles.