Brandon Hyde on Hunter Harvey: "All reports are positive"

The Orioles are expected to reinstate reliever Hunter Harvey from the 60-day injured list on the front portion of a three-team homestand that begins Memorial Day against the Twins.

They could choose to give him a fourth appearance on his injury rehab assignment after Friday night's start at Triple-A Norfolk or bring him to Baltimore.

Whatever they do, they're going to largely ignore his stats as they might in spring training.

Harvey has been charged with three earned runs and five total with eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. He's walked one batter, but struck out only two.

A 5.79 ERA and 1.929 WHIP clash with most promotions.

This isn't just a promotion. It's returning a major league, high-leverage reliever to the roster and understanding that the long layoff caused by a strained oblique was bound to impact his numbers.

Harvey hadn't faced an opponent since a March 12 exhibition game against the Phillies, when he threw one pitch, hopped off the mound in pain and headed indoors.

The immediate concern was elbow or shoulder. Obliques are slow to heal, but it felt like good news considering Harvey's history of injuries.

There aren't many sighs of relief when told that a pitcher strained an oblique muscle.

Here's what the Orioles really care about right now: How Harvey is feeling during his outings and on the following day - elbow, shoulder, side - and the velocity on his fastball.

Of course, they would've hoped that he wasn't dispensing 10 runs a game, but the above questions are most important.

"All reports are positive," manager Brandon Hyde said yesterday in his Zoom call. "I saw the velo, the velo was right where we want it to be."

Harvey was used as a starter on Friday, though Conner Greene had been listed, and allowed three runs (one earned) and three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

"I think a run was given up by somebody else after him," Hyde said, "but he was throwing strikes with the fastball in the upper 90s, utilized some other pitches as well, and came out feeling healthy, so that's all positive."

The Orioles appear to have removed César Valdez from the closer's role and Paul Fry is getting first crack at it if there's an actual save situation, but Harvey's arrival is going to renew the talk about him auditioning. My guess is the Orioles are more concerned right now about keeping him healthy and available in the late innings, but not necessarily the ninth.

We don't know whether he's cleared to pitch on back-to-back days, let alone handle save opportunities. His entire major league resume consists of 17 games and 15 innings. And I'll repeat that a team buried in defeats because early leads disappear almost immediately isn't tossing and turning over the closer designation.

Hyde would love to be able to trust Harvey to get three outs with the game on the line in the sixth, seventh or eighth. It doesn't have to be later.

He'd love to have a late lead again.