Orioles' Austin Hays: Resumes running, hitting

Hays (calf) said that he's been able to engage in a running program the past few days and plans to hit Thursday, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Manager Brandon Hyde implied Monday that Hays had made limited progress in his recovery from a left calf strain, but the outfielder struck a much more optimistic tone when he talked about where he stood in his rehab program Thursday. Hays admitted he's unsure whether he'll need a rehab assignment prior to being activated from the 10-day injured list, as the Orioles could just allow him to get some competitive at-bats in during simulated games. Regardless, Hays likely won't be in store for an everyday role whenever he's activated, as rookie Colton Cowser appears to have established himself as Baltimore's top option in left field.