Prospects will break your freaking heart. Seriously.
Orioles GM Dan Duquette told reporters on Wednesday that the team has just down prospect Hunter Harvey for the remainder of the season after an MRI on his right elbow revealed a strained flexor mass. “Prospect”, “MRI”, “elbow”, and “strain” are never words that any fan wants to hear in the same sentence. Typically “Tommy John” is a phrase that follows.
At least for now, surgery isn’t being considered according to Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com.
“He has some inflammation in his elbow and I believe he has a strain,” Duquette said. “He needs a period of rest.”
Reminded that other teams coveted Harvey, Duquette smiled and replied, “Yeah, obviously, but he’s with the Orioles.”
Those smart folks at Camden Depot remind us that Matt Wieters was believed to have no structural damage to his ligament either. He’s out for the rest of the season following UCL surgery.
Remember all that time ago when Matt Wieters has no structural damage to his ligament?
— Camden Depot (@CamdenDepot) July 30, 2014
The Orioles also took it slow with Dylan Bundy last spring.
Bleacher Report’s Will Carroll estimates that 90 percent of players come back Tommy John surgery. Assuming Harvey requires surgery and that he’s in that lucky 90 percent, his development will likely still be stalled for the entire 2015 season. No one can ever foresee an injury, but instances like this are part of the reason that I felt the Orioles shouldn’t rule out dealing a 19-year-old potentially/maybe/future front of the rotation starter for a sure thing during a year that they have a legitimate chance to do some damage in October.
