Hardy on back: "I'd say it's as close to 100 percent as possible"

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

September 02, 2014, 11:37am

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Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy said his back feels much better and he expects to return to the lineup Wednesday night at Camden Yards.

Hardy left yesterday's game after the seventh inning with a spasm in his lower back.

J.J._Hardy-sidebar_throwing_white.jpg Asked how the back feels today, Hardy replied, "Normal."

"I'd say it's as close to 100 percent as possible," he added. "I think it's just kind of avoid what happened in April, take another day and be safe and be good to go tomorrow."

Hardy missed five games in April with back spasms. He's available tonight, but Orioles manager Buck Showalter is being cautious.

"I told him I felt as normal as I could and he just wanted to make sure and give it one more day, but I'll be ready," Hardy said. "Obviously, I want to play, but I think it's probably the smart thing to do. I felt pretty good the day that I hurt myself in April in Detroit, so just to be safe take one more day and go from there.

"I feel like before anything happened yesterday. That's what it feels like today, so that's good.

"I know it's the smart thing to do, even though I do feel 100 percent."

Hardy drank lots of fluids to avoid dehydration, which may have caused the spasm.

"Yeah, I'm probably about six pounds overweight right now from all the stuff I've been drinking," he quipped.