Scott's feeling better and Hardy is getting ready to bat leadoff

Luke Scott is looking forward to his return to the Orioles lineup tonight. He has not played since Friday against Toronto, but he's in there tonight batting seventh in left field. Scott got a cortisone shot in his ailing right shoulder on Sunday. It seems that shot has worked for him so far. "It feels the best it's felt in six weeks. That's a positive," he said in the clubhouse a few moments ago. Then he headed out for batting practice to test the shoulder in the cage for the first time since getting that shot. "I'm pretty sure I'll be all right," he said. Meanwhile, J.J. Hardy is at the top of that Oriole lineup. He is listed in baseball-reference.com as having one game in the leadoff spot but no plate appearances or at-bats. That is pretty strange and he could not remember anything about that. He couldn't even remember being in the leadoff spot before ever in a big league game. "I don't think so. Spring training, maybe, but never in the season, he said. "I am not going to look at it any different than any other at-bat. Maybe the first at-bat of the game will be different, but after that, it's another at-bat." He was asked if he planned to be more selective or take more pitches tonight. "Maybe I'll go out there and swing at the first pitch," Hardy joked. He also said maybe he should talk to Derrek Lee since he hit leadoff when he played that one game in Bowie. He was kidding about that. Hardy has been swinging a pretty hot bat lately and is 9-for-20 over his last six games with two homers and five RBIs. "Yeah, all right," he said when asked if he felt good about his swing right now. "I feel like I'm getting on base and doing what I'm supposed to."