Flaherty (groin) took an early batting practice session Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Flaherty remains on track to be activated from the disabled list when first eligible Friday. It's unclear what role he'll serve in upon his return, but it's possible he will retake his spot as the everyday second baseman at least until Jonathan Schoop rejoins the club.

Flaherty (groin) is expected to be activated off the DL when he's first eligible Friday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Flaherty started a rehab assignment with Double-A Bowie on Monday, and appears to be progressing well as it's likely he'll miss just the minimum 15 days. Manager Buck Showalter indicated Flaherty could rejoin the team Thursday, but he won't be eligible until Friday's contest against the Yankees.

Flaherty (groin) is ready to start a rehab assignment Double-A Bowie on Monday, reports Roch Kubatko of MASN.

This is at least encouraging that Flaherty will be ready for his Friday return date. The biggest concern with a groin injury is running and it sounds like he's reached that point.

Flaherty (groin) ran the bases Saturday, the Baltimore Sun's Eduardo Encina reports.

He remains in line to return to the Orioles' mix at the keystone in the near future and should begin a rehab assignment Monday. Steve Pearce is currently getting starts at second base and Jonathan Schoop is expected to be out until at least the All-Star break.

Flaherty (groin) may begin his rehab Monday at Double-A, MASN Sports reports.

Flaherty is eligible to come off the DL May 8 and he is expected to return to the Orioles that day. He should be in line to get in several minor league games before being activated. The second base job appears to be his until around midseason when Jonathan Schoop is expected to return.

Flaherty (groin) took batting practice Wednesday, but doesn't know when he'll embark on a rehab assignment, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Flaherty is expected to be available for activation when first eligible, but he'll need to continue progressing over the next week for that to come to fruition. He took a positive step Wednesday with the BP session, but still has a little ways to go.

Flaherty (groin) will likely rehab at Double-A Bowie, and is expected to be ready to return from the disabled list when eligible, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

It sounds as though the groin issue isn't too major, but Flaherty's progression over the next couple weeks could be a determining factor in his eligibility once he's able to be activated.

Flaherty (groin) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday.

Flaherty was injured during Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, and he didn't play Thursday night. Rey Navarro was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk for the corresponding transaction, but Everth Cabrera and Jimmy Paredes figure to get most of the playing time in the middle infield until J.J. Hardy (shoulder) and/or Flaherty return(s). The timing is rather unfortunate for Flaherty, as he's done well in an every-day role since Jonathan Schoop (knee) suffered a serious injury. With Schoop not expected back any sooner than mid-June, Flaherty may get consistent playing time against right-handed pitchers once he's healthy.

Flaherty tweaked his right groin during Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

This explains why Flaherty is out of Thursday's lineup, even though the Orioles are facing a right-handed pitcher. Jimmy Paredes is starting at second base, with Everth Cabrera at shortstop and Delmon Young serving as the designated hitter. Flaherty said he hopes to only miss a few days, but if he ends up on the disabled list, it would free up some extra at-bats for Paredes and Cabrera. Jonathan Schoop (knee) is expected to miss the next six-to-eight weeks, while J.J. Hardy (shoulder) seems to be on track for a return in late April or early-to-mid May. At the moment, Cabrera and Paredes are the team's only healthy middle infielders.

Flaherty is out of the lineup Thursday, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

He has been starting pretty regularly since Jonathan Schoop went down with an injury, but will make way for Jimmy Paredes on Thursday. Flaherty has eight hits in his last 20 at-bats, including a home run and three doubles, so he will likely continue to see most of the action at the keystone while he stays hot.

Flaherty will start at second base Sunday against the Red Sox, Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports.

Flaherty stands to gain significant playing time while Jonathan Schoop (knee) is on the disabled list, and Sunday afternoon will represent his second straight start. Schoop's injury typically requires a 6-8 week timetable for recovery, so Flaherty could end up with some short-term fantasy relevance over that time. He could lose time to Everth Cabrera once J.J. Hardy (shoulder) is ready to return, but even that may be a couple weeks down the road.

Flaherty will start at second base Sunday against the Blue Jays.

Flaherty will draw the start in favor of Jonathan Schoop, who is currently dealing with a sore quad. The ailment isn't expected to be serious (as Schoop is available off the bench), so Flaherty's bump in playing time is likely to be short-lived.

Flaherty is not in the lineup for Friday's game against Mark Buehrle and the Blue Jays.

Everth Cabrera will start at shortstop and beat leadoff, while Jonathan Schoop will start at second base and bat eighth. Flaherty should see a good bit of playing time against right-handed pitching this season, but don't expect to see him in the lineup when the Orioles face a southpaw. It'll be interesting to see how things play out once J.J. Hardy (shoulder) is available, as all of Flaherty, Schoop and Cabrera are candidates to get playing time at the keystone.

Flaherty is in Tuesday's lineup against the Rays playing second base, according to MASN Sports.

Flaherty might be seeing a reward for his Opening Day home run by getting the start for the second day in a row. He started Monday at shortstop due to a favorable matchup against Chris Archer, but it is a surprise to see him in the lineup again, this time at second base, in place of Jonathan Schoop.

Earning the start over Everth Cabrera, Flaherty went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Monday.

Flaherty isn't long for the starting shortstop role, as J.J. Hardy is expected to return soon from the disabled list, but the home run was a nice addition to his resume. Flaherty hit seven home runs last year in 281 at bats, but hit just .221.

Flaherty is in Baltimore's Opening Day lineup at shortstop, MASN Sports reports.

Flaherty appears to have been given the nod thanks to his 4-for-9 career numbers against Rays starter Chris Archer. It is expected that Everth Cabrera will get most of the starts at shortstop until J.J. Hardy returns from the disabled list, which should be later this month.

Flaherty went 3-for-3 with a double Tuesday and appears to be fine after being hit in the head with a pitch several days ago.

Flaherty had his best game of the spring and is now 9-for-31 with a home run, but he also has nine strikeouts. He appears to be a favorite to make the final roster cut, though he does have options remaining.

Flaherty said he felt fine after getting struck in the head during a Grapefruit League game Tuesday, Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports.

Flaherty indicated he could have remained in the game Tuesday, but the Orioles pulled him out as a precaution. It doesn't sound like the utility infielder is experiencing any concussion symptoms, so he should be cleared to reenter the lineup before the end of the week.

Flaherty left Tuesday's Cactus League game after being hit in the helmet with a pitch, MASN's Roch Kubatko reports.

According to Kubatko, Flaherty will not travel with the Orioles for Wednesday's game. The versatile infielder will presumably be evaluated for a concussion, but even a positive diagnosis would likely leave him time to be ready by Opening Day. Flaherty doesn't have a notable history of concussions on record.

Flaherty's arbitration case has been settled with a one-year, $1.075 million contract, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports.

Flaherty can earn another $25,000 if he gets 400 plate appearances, which seems unlikely but not unthinkable. While the Orioles value him for his versatility, Flaherty offers little in the way of speed, batting average or on-base skills. He owns a .221/.283/.369 slash line through 680 career at-bats, with 23 home runs and just four stolen bases. He does have more power than your typical utility player, but Flaherty is rarely used against left-handed pitchers, and he also struggles to hit right-handers. 276 of his 280 at-bats last season came from the 7-9 spots in the batting order.