Updating Hardy, Lough and Gonzalez

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy passed along another encouraging report today regarding the strained muscle in his left shoulder.

Hardy was told Monday that he would be shut down a minimum of 10 days after undergoing an MRI arthrogram on his shoulder. He's headed to the disabled list and won't be eligible to return before April 11, but the swelling has been reduced and his optimism seems to be rising.

"It's been good so far," Hardy said. "I feel like every day there's been improvement. Still got to wait until there's nothing in there before we can really get after it, so that way I'm not dealing with a sore shoulder if I try to come back too soon and deal with that the whole year. We really want to knock it out before. But overall, good. The timetable hasn't changed at all, but it could be even better. I don't know.

"Swelling's down. I pretty much have full range of motion. Now it's slow steps every day to get better, strengthen it. It's been progressing really well."

It seems doubtful that Hardy will be ready to play on April 11, since he'll need to start baseball activities and get some at-bats, but he could be classified as ahead of schedule.

"It seems like I've been better than what everybody expected every day," Hardy said. "They're really encouraged, I'm encouraged. It's just a matter of time before it's fully strengthened enough to go do baseball activities. And then that will be another, get back into baseball shape."

Asked whether he could play a week from now, Hardy replied, "Is it realistic to play, like in a game? I don't know. It's so hard to put a time limit. It really is. When we say day-to-day, it really is day-to-day. I mean, we're feeling how we feel today and then that will make our plan for tomorrow. So, it's hard to put a week time limit, or it's going to be two weeks. I'm literally looking at it like it's day-to-day."

It's the same approach used by David Lough, who received four at-bats and played four innings in left field today in a Triple-A game in Port Charlotte.

"I felt good," said Lough, who's been sidelined with a sore hamstring after earlier issues with his back. "I hit the ball well, I ran the bases well. Didn't feel anything, so that's a good sign. Everything was positive. It went well."

Lough, who's also headed to the DL, will rest on Saturday before playing in an extended spring training game on Sunday. He could go back-to-back on Sunday and Monday or Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I don't know what the plan is," Lough said. "We're just taking it day-by-day, but today went well. Just to see some pitching again and get some at-bats in and field a little bit. I felt good. It went well."

Miguel Gonzalez joined Lough in Port Charlotte.

"He looked good," Gonzalez said. "I'm happy for him."

Gonzalez threw 65 pitches in five innings in the Triple-A game. He felt good, except for the three home runs, which he laughed about while talking to reporters.

"It was crazy," he said. "First pitch, I would throw a fastball and they would take. Next pitch, I would throw a curveball and then I'd try to come back with a fastball. It was over the fence. 'I'm trying to work on something here, guys.'"

Gonzalez will start the third game against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

"We have six starters. We don't know exactly what's going to happen with (Kevin) Gausman and Ubaldo (Jimenez), but I'm definitely excited for this season and being the third starter," he said. "Throwing the third game in Tampa is going to be exciting."