Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy made his 2015 debut Thursday after completing a three-game rehabilitation assignment with Double-A Bowie.
Sidelined since suffering a left shoulder injury in late March, Hardy went 4-for-12 with a double and one RBI with the Baysox while starting all three games at shortstop. He was activated prior to the series opener against the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
To make room on the 25-man roster, shortstop Everth Cabrera was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised foot sustained after being hit by a pitch on Wednesday night.
Hardy deemed his shoulder ready after testing it out in a variety of ways in the three games with the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate. The last hurdle for Hardy to clear had been eliminating the lingering discomfort in his shoulder that came with the full extension of his follow-through when swinging the bat, but the Orioles gave the 32-year-old a cortisone injection on April 25 to speed up the healing.
Signed to a three-year, $40 million extension last October, Hardy will rejoin an Orioles club that’s received very little production at the shortstop position. Though the 2013 All-Star selection Cabrera has played acceptable defense, his .456 on-base plus slugging percentage and minus-0.8 wins above replacement illustrate how badly manager Buck Showalter has missed Hardy’s all-around contributions at the position.
In addition to Hardy, infielder Ryan Flaherty (groin strain) is expected to rejoin the Orioles in the Bronx and will be activated on Friday, the first day he’s eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list. Flaherty is expected to assume the primary second base duties as Jonathan Schoop continues to recover from a right knee injury in Sarasota.
With Hardy and Flaherty returning to the club for the Yankees series, the Orioles were faced with making two roster moves. The other is expected to be minor-league journeyman Rey Navarro being optioned back to Triple-A Norfolk.
