Missing from the Orioles lineup for a second straight night, J.J. Hardy underwent a magnetic resonance imaging exam for a left oblique issue and is considered day to day.
Manager Buck Showalter said after Tuesday’s 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros that the results of the MRI were encouraging and Hardy would be reevaluated on Wednesday. The shortstop missed Monday’s game with what was described as left side soreness, but he acknowledged to reporters that he was concerned that it might be something that could sideline him for longer than a day or two.
Hardy missed 27 games due to a left oblique strain in his first season with the Orioles in 2011.
A frustrating season continues for Hardy after he missed the first 25 games due to a left shoulder injury suffered late in spring training. Lower back stiffness forced Hardy from a game on May 25, but the veteran infielder returned to the starting lineup the following night.
Needless to say, an injury-riddled start to 2015 is not what the Orioles envisioned when they signed Hardy to a three-year, $40 million contract extension last October. Only time will tell whether Baltimore was wise to give a 32-year-old shortstop with a history of having a cranky back a three-year contract.
Hardy is hitting .190 with two home runs and six RBIs in 87 plate appearances this season.
In other injury-related news, Adam Jones (left ankle) was back in center field for the Orioles on Tuesday after serving as the designated hitter on Monday. Jones missed two games with a mild sprain.
