BALTIMORE — Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy left Sunday’s game after being hit on the right wrist by a pitch and could be sidelined for a while.
The club initially announced the injury as a right wrist contusion, but manager Buck Showalter expressed concern after the 8-5 victory over St. Louis. Hardy was plunked by a 93 mph fastball from Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn in the fourth inning and initially stayed in the game before departing in the top of the sixth.
“Not good, not good,” Showalter said. “We took an X-ray here and saw something that concerned us. I know he’s got a scan in the morning, and we’ll have a little more definitive idea there.”
Ruben Tejada took Hardy’s place at shortstop and would presumably be in line for more extensive playing time if the 34-year-old shortstop were to be sidelined for an extended period of time. With utility infielder Ryan Flaherty still rehabbing a shoulder injury in Sarasota, the Orioles could promote Paul Janish from Triple-A Norfolk to serve as an extra infielder.
There’s also the possibility of sliding third baseman Manny Machado to shortstop like the Orioles did at times last year when Hardy missed several weeks with a hairline fracture in his left foot, but Showalter used Flaherty at third base in those instances.
In 64 games this year, Hardy is batting .211 with three home runs, 21 runs batted in, and a .553 on-base plus slugging percentage. He is in the final season of a three-year, $40 million contract.
