BOWIE — The middle infield for the Double-A Bowie Baysox had a major league feel Monday, with Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy and utility man Ryan Flaherty beginning their rehab assignments from shoulder and groin injuries, respectively.
The pair are seemingly on the same schedule — Flaherty joked after the game that he's simply following Hardy around this week — but took different approaches when speaking about their impending returns to the big league club.
Flaherty, who has out since April 24 with a groin strain, said he felt good and believes he could return when he's eligible to come off the disabled list on Friday.
Hardy, too, reported no pain in his strained left shoulder, but doesn't want to put out a return date only to miss it, as he did during a complicated April.
Hardy said it's "definitely possible" he returns after he and Flaherty complete their planned three-game stints in Bowie, "but I don't think anyone wants to get ahead of ourselves like that," he said.
"We just don't want to get ahead of ourselves," Hardy said.
The pair played seven innings, batted four times apiece, and combined for three hits in Bowie's 8-0 win over Akron before an announced crowd of 2,013.
Hardy was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Flaherty was 1-for-4. Both scored runs in the victory.
Flaherty hit second in the Baysox lineup behind outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, and grounded out to second base in the opening frame. Hardy lined a single to center field, but was out on a fielder's choice at second base one batter later.
They were both retired in their next two at-bats, with Hardy describing concern for his shoulder on an off-balance swing in his third at-bat, but coming out of it feeling good.
The pair doubled and scored in a two-run seventh inning before exiting the game.
Both had opportunities in the field in the first inning. Flaherty recorded the first out of the game when a high chopper up the middle caromed off pitcher Branden Kline's glove and toward him on the right side of the infield.
Flaherty, who was running to his right at the time, stopped quickly and ranged back toward first base to scoop the ball and record the out. He said it was a "tester" right out of the gate.
"You can take all the grounders you want from a guy off a fungo [bat], but until you actually get into a game and go at game speed and move game-like, it's kind of irrelevant," Flaherty said.
Hardy's opportunity two batters later was routine. Flaherty also fielded a ground ball in the sixth inning. Hardy's only other chance in the field was on a lazy pop fly to short center field.
Both said they relished a return to game action.
Flaherty landed on the DL with a right groin strain on April 24, which he suffered running the bases at the Rogers Centre in Toronto. He reported no issues with the groin Monday.
"It felt good," Flaherty said. "I didn't feel anything, so 100 percent, it was good to get back out there."
Hardy, who jammed his shoulder diving for a ball in a spring training game on March 23, hasn't enjoyed such a simple recovery. He was initially surprised that the injury would even require a stint on the disabled list.
After several setbacks, Hardy had a cortisone shot on April 25, and has ramped up activities over the last week to get back to game action Monday.
"I was having some trouble before that, and I haven't felt the pain that I was feeling since the cortisone," Hardy said.
Weather permitting, the two will play Tuesday and Wednesday at Prince George's Stadium before the team decides their next steps. There's a chance of rain in the forecast, and Bowie manager Gary Kendall said they could join Norfolk in Syracuse if the weather is too threatening, but Hardy said they've told the Baysox staff they want to get the games in here.
"We talked to the general manger here, telling him, 'We've got to get the games in,' " Hardy said. "If it's going to rain, we need to wait around as long as possible and get these in. Hopefully the weather is on our side."
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