Orioles' Hardy nervous his sore left side 'might turn into something worse'

Baltimore Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy is dealing with another injury less than a month removed from a stint on the disabled list,

Hardy, who missed the first 25 games of the season with a shoulder strain, departed Friday's game with back tightness and is now dealing with discomfort in his left side.

"It's frustrating though," Hardy told Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. "It's the shoulder in the spring, then the back starts acting up. Now it's this and it's just frustrating."

Hardy missed a month in 2011 with an oblique strain and said he's concerned that the current irritation he's feeling could be similar to that.

"I'm just nervous that it's more than a day or two type thing," Hardy said. "I'm just nervous that it might turn into something worse."

The three-time Gold Glove winner is hitting .190/.209/.274 with two home runs, six RBIs, and 17 strikeouts in 23 games this season.