Hardy signed a contract Thursday with the Sioux City Explorers of the independent American Association of Professional Baseball, Talk Radio 1360 Sioux City reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 35-year-old will be looking to reboot his career in the independent ranks after a 13-year run in affiliated ball. Hardy saw big-league action in seven of the past eight seasons, accruing a 3.78 ERA and 1.34 WHIP across 234 career appearances, all but one of which came with the Tigers.

Hardy was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

Hardy was in the majors just over a week and surrendered three runs (two earned) in one inning during his lone appearance. The left-hander will return to Nashville, where he has a 3.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 43:17 K:BB over 46.1 innings.

Hardy had his contract selected by the Brewers on Sunday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The left-hander will head to the majors for the first time in 2021 after Hunter Strickland tested positive for COVID-19. Hardy hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2019 and has a 3.50 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 43:17 K:BB across 46.1 innings at Triple-A Nashville this season.

Hardy (elbow) appeared in his first game since February of 2020 on Saturday.

EDGE Analysis

Hardy's 2020 season ended before it began when he underwent Tommy John surgery last March, but he was able to make it back to the mound less than a year later. Hardy appeared in 69 games for the Tigers across the 2018 and 2019 seasons and posted a respectable 3.87 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, so he will have a chance to earn a spot in the Brewers' bullpen now that he's back to full health.

Hardy (elbow) signed a minor-league deal with the Brewers which includes an invitation to big-league camp Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

Hardy is unlikely to be competing for a job this spring, as he's still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, a procedure he underwent in March of 2020. A typical recovery timeline would see him ready for game action sometime over the summer. The veteran lefty could be a useful bullpen piece for the Brewers, as he owns a 3.73 career ERA, but he's far from a lock heading into his age-34 season and coming off major surgery.

Hardy underwent Tommy John surgery last week, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hardy dealt with elbow issues last season and received platelet-rich plasma injection in August. That procedure evidently didn't have the desired results, so he elected to go under the knife. He won't be back in game action until the middle of the 2021 campaign.

Hardy (elbow) threw a scoreless inning with a strikeout in Friday's exhibition game against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

EDGE Analysis

Hardy received a platelet-rich plasma injection to his left elbow in mid-August and missed the final two months of last season. It looks like he's fully healthy as spring training begins. The non-roster invite to camp faces an uphill battle to win a final spot in Minnesota's bullpen.

Hardy (elbow) signed a minor-league contract with the Twins on Tuesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hardy will receive an invitation to major-league spring training as part of the deal. He spent most of the 2019 campaign in the majors with the Tigers, posting a mediocre 4.47 ERA in 44.1 innings while striking out just 29 batters. He required a PRP injection in his left arm in mid-August and was shut down for the year.

Hardy (elbow) was placed on outright waivers Tuesday, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hardy received a platelet-rich plasma injection to his left elbow in mid-August and missed the final two months of the season, and it now looks as though his time with the Tigers may be over. The 32-year-old wasn't expected to be tendered a contract by the Tigers in arbitration and will hit free agency if he goes unclaimed on waivers. Hardy had a 4.47 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 29:13 K:BB over 44.1 innings during 2019.

Hardy announced Tuesday via his personal Twitter account that he underwent a successful procedure on his left elbow.

EDGE Analysis

According to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News, Hardy didn't require Tommy John surgery to address his lingering elbow injury but instead received a platelet-rich plasma injection from Dr. James Andrews. Hardy's season is now over as a result of the injection, but he's expected to have a rather normal offseason. The southpaw will be re-evaluated by Andrews in six weeks and could be cleared to resume working out if his elbow heals as anticipated.