Apr 27, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria (3) is forced out at second by Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy (2) during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field. The Orioles won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Baltimore shortstop J.J. Hardy suffered a hairline fracture of his left foot on Sunday and will miss from six to eight weeks.
Hardy fouled a ball off his left foot in the fourth inning against the Chicago White Sox. He ended up coaxing a walk in that at-bat and actually took the field in the fifth, but by the sixth inning, he had been replaced by Manny Machado.
Hardy, a two-time All-Star, was hitting .244 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Just as important as his offensive output, his defense will be missed. He is one of four shortstops who has not made an error this season.
The Orioles are expected to call up infielder Ryan Flaherty from Triple-A Rochester to take his spot on the roster.
