On Sunday, we learned that Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy probably had an oblique strain that would force him to the disabled list. There was initial concern that the injury could keep Hardy on the shelf for well more than a month, but nobody wanted to say anything for sure until Hardy had his scheduled Monday MRI.
Well, Hardy's had his scheduled Monday MRI, and it turns out things aren't as bad as feared. Says Jeff Zrebiec:
Mri on jj hardys oblique reveals a strain. He'll be out probably between two to three weeks. #orioles
A 2-3 week DL stint is a heck of a lot better than a six-week DL stint, and while the Orioles probably won't feel great about handing the keys to short over to Cesar Izturis and Robert Andino, they'll do so knowing this could have been worse.
If Hardy's able to recover without hitting any setbacks, he should return to the starting lineup by the end of April or beginning of May.