Orioles’ Hunter Harvey says biceps soreness is ‘normal stuff’

BALTIMORE—Orioles reliever Hunter Harvey hasn’t pitched since September 2 because of right biceps soreness. He’s eager to finish the season strong.

Harvey has thrown 81 innings this season, the most he’s pitched since 2014 when he threw 87 2/3 for Delmarva, a season that was truncated by a forearm injury.

This has been Harvey’s only fully healthy season in a career that began after the Orioles drafted him with their first pick in 2013

“We talked about things after finally pitching a full season,” Harvey said. “It’s normal stuff, nothing bad. I think I’ll be back in there this weekend.”

Harvey said the biceps wasn’t bothering him — “nothing crazy … no pain, nothing like that, just kind of a tired feeling. They gave me a couple of extra days, and I’ve been feeling better.”

Since Harvey joined the Orioles, he’s pitched 5 1/3 innings in six appearances, hitting 100 mph on the radar gun. He threw 15-to-20 pitches in a bullpen session on Tuesday.

Harvey said there was no thought to shutting him down.

“We have a little over two weeks,” Harvey said. “I think I still have eight innings left, so we’re going to try to finish strong.”

Harvey said that the soreness has “kind of been in and out over the last month or so. Never really been a concern. [Pitching coach Doug Brocail] just told me to let him know if I ever felt anything with how my past has been. I just told him I was feeling a little tired in my arm, and he said, ‘We’ll give you a couple of extra days.’”

Manager Brandon Hyde said Harvey “has got some normal soreness that everybody else has. It’s September. He’s never pitched into September so we gave him a little time off.”

Hyde congratulates Dodgers: Hyde said that he admires the work done by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who clinched their seventh straight National League West title by beating the Orioles, 7-3, Tuesday night.

“I have a lot of respect for the Dodgers,” Hyde said. “I have a lot of respect for [manager] Dave Roberts. He’s so well respected and liked in the coaching industry. Being on the other side from him for the last handful of years, you truly appreciate what he’s done … That’s so hard to do, seven years in a row winning a division. It says a lot about him. He’s an unbelievably positive guy, players really like him, and he’s done some great things there.”

Wojciechowski going home: Asher Wojciechowski lived in Sturgis, Michigan from ages 6-9 and again from 12-16, and he’s excited about pitching at Comerica Park on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.

Wojciechowski has lots of family in Michigan, and he’s looking forward to facing the Tigers for the first time.

In his last outing, he lasted just two innings, allowing four runs on six hits against Texas on Sunday. Afterward, he acknowledged he was tired and Hyde gave him some extra rest.

“I can date this back to my [August 17] outing at Boston,” Wojciechowski said. “I was starting to feel the effects of the long season. You’ve just got to focus on recovery, still got to pick your spots to really get after it. At this point in the season, you’ve got really focus on sleep, recovery, hydration, nutrition. You can’t really slack on that.”

Wojciechowski threw a bullpen session on Wednesday.

Aaron Brooks pitches Friday, Gabriel Ynoa is Saturday’s starter, and Joh Means pitches Monday.

Bowie changes pitching: Zac Lowther was supposed to start Game 3 in Bowie’s best-of-five Eastern League championship series against Trenton.

Lowther has been scratched and Alex Wells will start Game 3 in his place at Prince George’s Stadium on Thursday.

Cody Sedlock starts Game 2 tonight in Trenton. Trenton beat Bowie, 6-2, in the first game.

If there’s a fourth game, Tyler Herb starts for Bowie.