Hardy hasn't appeared in an MLB game since October 2017 and didn't even land an invitation to big-league spring training either of the past two years. At this point, Hardy would probably have to revive his career in the independent ranks if he were serious about playing, but that's an unlikely outcome for a player who made more than $80 million over parts of 13 seasons in the big leagues. Hardy won three Gold Gloves and earned two All-Star nods while batting .256 over 1,561 career regular-season contests with the Brewers, Twins and Orioles.

Hardy will get a $2 million buyout from the team and becomes a free agent heading into this winter. The shortstop only played in 73 games this year due to a broken wrist that kept him out from late June to early September, and he wound up slashing just .217/.255/.323 with four home runs and 24 RBI when he was on the field. The 35-year-old will look to latch on with a new organization in the coming months, although his days as a starting shortstop may have come to an end.

Although Hardy was reinstated from the disabled list (wrist) over a week ago, the shortstop hasn't received any playing time since his return to the active roster. The 35-year-old will be back at his typical spot in the field while hitting out of the seventh spot for Saturday's affair. Over the course of the 2017 season, Hardy is slashing .211/.248/.308 with three home runs and 21 RBI in 64 games.

Hardy has been on the shelf since June 19 with a broken wrist, but is finally ready to rejoin the big-league club after a long recovery, which including nine rehab appearances with Triple-A Norfolk. In a corresponding move, Baltimore designated Andrew Faulkner for assignment. While Hardy's presence should add extra depth to the middle of the infield, his impact may wind up being minimal throughout the rest of the season, since Tim Beckham has locked down the job at short for the club since coming over at the trade deadline.