Ravens rookie WR Rashod Bateman will undergo groin surgery, return ‘sometime in September’

Ravens rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman will undergo groin surgery in the coming days, coach John Harbaugh said Friday, and is set to return “sometime in September.”

Bateman on Monday suffered what Harbaugh called a “soft tissue” injury after hurting his groin in a one-on-one drill. The first-round draft pick limped off the field and did not return. Bateman had dealt with muscle tightness in training camp earlier. Ravens wide receivers Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Miles Boykin have also missed much of camp with hamstring injuries.

Harbaugh called Bateman’s surgery “pretty good news.” The Ravens open their regular season Sept. 13 against the host Las Vegas Raiders, host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 19 and face the Lions in Detroit on Sept. 26.

If Bateman opens the season on injured reserve, he could return for the Ravens’ Week 4 road game against the Denver Broncos. Under NFL rules implemented last year, an unlimited number of players can return from a team’s IR, and they’re eligible to play after missing a minimum of three games.

Bateman said Thursday on Instagram that the injury, the first in his career, was “tough,” but that the “future is bright.”

“This is just a small bump in the road,” Bateman said. “My eyes are set on getting right back to help this team. Be back soon.”