masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgFor today at least, Orioles outfielder Endy Chavez will avoid his second trip this year to the disabled list. He suffered a strained right hamstring injury when he hit the first base bag awkwardly last night after a bunt single in the last of the sixth inning.

“I feel better today but it’s still sore,” Chavez said. “I’m getting some treatment to see how it will respond. I don’t think it’s that bad.”

But when asked if he could play tonight, Chavez said he could not.

“Not really,…For today at least, Orioles outfielder Endy Chavez will avoid his second trip this year to the disabled list. He suffered a strained right hamstring injury when he hit the first base bag awkwardly last night after a bunt single in the last of the sixth inning.

“I feel better today but it’s still sore,” Chavez said. “I’m getting some treatment to see how it will respond. I don’t think it’s that bad.”

But when asked if he could play tonight, Chavez said he could not.

“Not really, because it’s still sore,” he said.

“We are taking it day-by-day to see how it will respond. I don’t think it’s that bad and before they make a decision to put me on the DL they want to make sure to see how long this will take.”

Manager Buck Showalter seems to want a full and healthy bench going into a six-game road trip starting Friday in two National League parks where he may need to make double switches and other moves. That seems to indicate that Chavez’s hamstring will need to make a quick recovery.

Chavez signed a one-year deal with the club in December after batting .301 in 256 at-bats for AL champion Texas last year. In 32 games for the Orioles, he is batting just .162 with one homer, four RBIs and an OPS of .402.

He has been hitting a little better recently, going 9-for-30 for a .300 average over his last seven games.

He was on the DL from May 10 to May 29 with a left oblique strain and now this hamstring issue could put him back there, at a time when he was getting some more regular playing time with Nick Markakis out.

“Yeah, definitely (this is frustrating),” he said. “Especially that I have started to feel better swinging the bat and I’ve been getting more results on offense. You try to help the team and try to play every day and now this happens. That is frustrating,” Chavez said.