How Royals stand to benefit as Hunter Harvey returns to late-inning bullpen role
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hunter Harvey returns to Royals bullpen after lengthy injury absence since April.
- Royals regain late-inning depth as bullpen nears full strength for playoff push.
- Harvey shows velocity and command in rehab, striking out five in three innings.
The Kansas City Royals have remained competitive despite shuffling their bullpen throughout the 2025 season.
Guys like Steven Cruz and Angel Zerpa have stepped up in high-leverage situations amid key injuries.
And now the Royals’ bullpen is nearly at full strength. The Royals reinstated top reliever Hunter Harvey from the 60-day injured list Friday.
Harvey gives the Royals another late-inning option. He hasn’t pitched since April 7 due to a right teres major strain but looked strong during a recent rehab assignment. He logged five strikeouts across three innings in the minors while touching 99 mph with his fastball.
“It’s awesome to be activated,” Harvey said. “Get back here and try to do my part and help these guys. And we’re not far out of the playoffs. Just to be able to get back and try to make a push is going to be fun.”
Harvey appeared in six games before heading to the injured list. He felt discomfort near his shoulder area and was shut down with a Grade 1 strain. The injury lingered, however, and it cost him several months of action.
“It’s nothing structural, so it’s just kind of been those outside muscles,” Harvey said. “So that’s been the good thing about it. But yeah, once we let it get out it’s been fine since.”
Harvey continued to progress with a renewed throwing program. He stretched out his arm and got back on the mound in recent weeks. He regained his strength after the second setback and showed no signs of discomfort after his rehab appearances.
“That’s kind of been the question every time I pitched: ‘How do you feel the next day?’” Harvey said. “Being able to wake up after throwing 20 pitches, having the velo and stuff where it was and feeling like I can throw the next day without having soreness was kind of nice.”
The Royals will ease Harvey back into action. He brings another veteran presence after being acquired last season from the Washington Nationals. He is content to pitch in any role as the Royals attempt to string multiple wins together.
“This is the most fired up I’ve seen him from an emotional standpoint and his ability to be out here and contribute,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
The Royals also have right-handers Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estévez available for late innings. Harvey gives the club another option and could allow Erceg to expand his fireman role down the stretch.
“He just wants to go out and compete and help the team win,” Erceg said of Harvey. “We have kind of centered ourselves around being that sort of culture and not worrying about roles or who pitches in what situations.”
Harvey rejoins a Royals bullpen that consists of Estévez, Erceg, Zerpa, Steven Cruz, John Schreiber, Taylor Clarke and Sam Long.
This story was originally published July 26, 2025 at 1:45 PM.
