Jonathan Schoop updates his knee injury, talks of returning to Camden Yards

Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop has been on the disabled list since April 18 with a sprained right knee, but soon he will be back on the field on a major league rehab assignment with Double-A Bowie.

Schoop said today he is scheduled to work out with the Orioles the next several days and then begin his rehab assignment on Friday at 6:35 p.m. at Prince George's Stadium when Bowie hosts Trenton.

After working out for weeks in Florida, Schoop returned to Camden Yards today, took some ground balls on the field before batting practice and then exchanged hugs with teammates throughout the clubhouse.

"I feel really good," Schoop said. "Feel strong and ready to go. Really happy to be here and see my teammates. Really excited. I've been out for a month and a half and I want to play. I feel strong, stronger than before.

"I have to say thank you to Dave (Walker, minor league medical coordinator) who worked with me in Sarasota and to Brady (Anderson), who worked me out down there. He told me (he) wants to make sure everything is good and I come back stronger than before. He knows I wanted to get here earlier, but he said they want me to be stronger, not just for now, but for this year and the rest of my career."

Schoop was injured when he landed awkwardly running through the first-base bag on April 17 at Boston's Fenway Park. He suffered a partial PCL tear and MCL strain. At the time of the injury, he was batting .259 with three homers, seven RBIs and a .940 OPS in nine games.

Schoop said he was not sure whether he would need to play for the full 20 days allotted for the rehab assignment before rejoining the Orioles.

"That is not up to me," he said. "That is for Buck (Showalter) and Dan (Duquette) to decide. I'll go there, work hard, do my best and when they think I'm ready, I'll come here."

How has his lateral movement been coming?

"Really good. Brady and Dave Walker worked with me. I did agility (drills) and did a lot. I feel really good, no pain or nothing. Like I said, stronger than before."

Sometimes players have mental hurdles to overcome when returning from an injury as well.

"That has gone away already," Schoop said. "Since three weeks ago, when I was doing my rehab, I was thinking (about it) a little bit, but those guys worked me hard and I'm not thinking about it."