Receiving his first live-game action since injuring his left shoulder in late March, Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy made it through the first game of a minor-league rehab assignment without issue on Monday.
The 32-year-old went 2-for-4 with a single and an RBI double in Double-A Bowie’s 8-0 win over Akron. Hardy and infielder Ryan Flaherty began a rehab assignment that could see both return by the weekend if all goes well. Flaherty went 1-for-4 with a double in the seventh inning.
Hardy played shortstop and batted third while Flaherty hit second and manned second base.
After both players exited the game at the end of seven innings, they reported no physical concerns to reporters, which is good news for an Orioles infield that’s been devastated by injuries at the beginning of the season. Hardy received a cortisone shot in his left shoulder on April 25 after he was continuing to feel slight discomfort at the end of his follow-through when swinging the bat.
It remains unclear how many rehab games Hardy will play before he’s deemed ready to be activated by the Orioles. Flaherty is eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list as soon as he becomes eligible to do so on Friday after he was sidelined with a mild groin injury in Toronto two weeks ago.
