Baltimore Orioles: Another Update on J.J. Hardy’s Shoulder

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On Saturday, Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy received a Cortisone shot in his injured left shoulder, as a result he will not see any action until Wednesday, via MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli.

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Hardy is back with the Orioles, as he waits for Wednesday, but he had been with Triple-A Norfolk. Hardy was in Norfolk taking batting practice with the team, awaiting the go-ahead to start his rehab assignment, but that never came, as he was still having some pain when swinging the bat, according to Ghiroli.

Hardy hasn’t played yet in the regular season, and he last played in spring training on March 25th. Hardy was originally set to start a rehab assignment with Double-A Bowie on or about April 17th, but his shoulder still hasn’t fully recovered from the injury.

In Hardy’s absence, Everth Cabrera and Ryan Flaherty have replaced him at short, though Flaherty just made his own trip to the DL on Friday. Cabrera and Flaherty have combined to hit .215 with a .232 OBP. They have struck out 17 times, while only managing 14 hits and two walks. Of those 14 hits, only one went for extra bases, a home run from Flaherty.

When Hardy gets back into the lineup, he will certainly increase his position’s production. However, it has to be seen as a serious problem that the pain is persisting at the end of his swing.

Wednesday is a big day for the Orioles’ season. Though it is still only April, if the pain is still there, there might be something seriously wrong with Hardy.

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