Orioles Shortstop JJ Hardy Out With Fractured Wrist
BALTIMORE (AP) — Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy is headed to the 10-day disabled list with a broken bone in his right wrist, an injury that will keep him sidelined four to six weeks.
Surgery will not be required, but Hardy can't participate in baseball activities until the wrist has fully healed.
Hardy was injured Sunday when hit by a pitch from Lance Lynn in the fourth inning of Baltimore's 8-5 win over St. Louis. Hardy remained in the game briefly before being replaced by Ruben Tejada in the sixth.
"I realized there was zero chance I was going to be able to hold a bat, so there was no point staying in," Hardy said Monday.
Though Hardy was batting only .211, he was on a 7-for-23 streak that added 10 points to his batting average after working with batting coach Scott Coolbaugh.
"We basically started with a clean slate, just started focusing on what needed to be done in the swing," Hardy said. "I was right on my way to getting out of the little slump I was in, and then this happens."
Hardy's biggest contribution to the Orioles is at shortstop. The 34-year-old is a three-time Gold Glove winner and a stabilizer in the middle of the infield.
"He's kind of the quarterback in the infield, so to speak," manager Buck Showalter said.
Although Hardy was wearing a soft cast Monday, the Orioles delayed putting him on the DL because there was a chance their game against Cleveland would be postponed by rain.
"Obviously we're going to add an infielder when we play our next game," Showalter said.
When the move is made, Hardy will join first baseman Chris Davis and utility infielder Ryan Flaherty on the disabled list, along with setup man Darren O'Day and closer Zach Britton.
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"Everybody's got their tale of woe," Showalter said. "If I and the coaches and the players start talking about that, it's a bad atmosphere. We've done a good job of dealing with it in the past. We've just got to fight through it."
Tejada was in the starting lineup for Monday's game. He was obtained earlier this month from the New York Yankees for cash.
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