Orioles call up prospect Harvey to bolster bullpen

The Baltimore Orioles called up top pitching prospect Hunter Harvey from Double-A on Monday, setting the stage for the 23-year-old's first taste of the majors

Harvey, a first-round pick in the 2013 draft, has played primarily in Single-A when healthy enough to take the mound, and will be used out of Baltimore's bullpen. He was scheduled to make his season debut Monday for the Bowie Baysox before getting the call to join Baltimore in time for a visit from the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com.

The Orioles went into extra innings twice during their previous series against the New York Yankees, so the bullpen has been stretched fairly thin.

Injuries have derailed and delayed Harvey's journey to the majors. He missed all of 2015 due to right elbow tightness and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016, forcing him to miss most of that season and the following one. After pitching 87 2/3 innings in 2014 across 17 starts, Harvey has been limited to 31 1/3 innings ever since.

He comes with a certain amount of pedigree, though. While he's currently listed as the team's fourth-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, he was the organization's top future arm in 2015, ahead of current ace Dylan Bundy.

Bundy draws the start Monday, and Harvey could spell him if needed.

The Orioles optioned left-handed reliever Tanner Scott to Triple-A in a corresponding move.