Ravens rookie center Tyler Linderbaum will be out a week to two weeks, Head Coach John Harbaugh said Friday after the team received the results of an MRI.
Linderbaum went down in Thursday's practice and the team immediately got X-rays that came back negative. It's a sigh of relief for a player that's projected to be the Week 1 starter.
"It's not a serious thing. It's going to be probably at least a week," Harbaugh said. "Just let it settle down. It could be two weeks. We'll see. Of course, he'll tell me otherwise, but it's not going to be through all of training camp, unless something changes."
Veteran Patrick Mekari has stepped in at center for Linderbaum, which is a good backup plan to have considering he's a former starter at the position.
Still, it's a tough blow as Linderbaum is looking to grow and establish his chemistry and command with the rest of the offensive line.
Devin Duvernay Is Close to Returning; Others Dealing With Minor Issues
The Ravens were without two of their top wide receivers Friday as Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay are both dealing with minor health issues.
Harbaugh said Bateman's ailment is so minor that he probably could have practiced.
"We just said, 'No,'" Harbaugh said. "We'll probably hold him out tomorrow too. Some of that soft tissue stuff, fatigue starts to set in. That's where we're at with a couple of guys."
Duvernay, who has been out since suffering a thigh bruise in the M&T Bank Stadium practice Saturday. He is close to returning, Harbaugh said.
"Duvernay still has the tight bruise," Harbaugh said. "He probably could have gone today, even yesterday. But I pretty much said, 'Let these young guys get some reps, and let's get that thing 100 percent right.'"
Harbaugh said cornerback Brandon Stephens is also dealing with a minor soft-tissue injury.
"Hopefully, we got it early enough where we keep it short term," Harbaugh said.
Marcus Williams Is Impressed With Kyle Hamilton's Film Study
Marcus Williams is known for being a student of the game and he likes what he sees from first-round rookie Kyle Hamilton in the classroom.
Both players will be integral parts of the Ravens' quest to improve their last-ranked pass defense this season and both are getting up to speed with Baltimore's scheme.
"He's doing a great job. He puts a lot of work in in the film room," Williams said. "He comes out here, he competes. He does all the things you want out of a rookie. He's not playing like a rookie right now; he's playing like he's been here and doing it. That's very impressive."
James Proche II Getting Reps as the Backup Holder
Versatility is everything in the NFL and wide receiver James Proche II is adding to his resume as he's taking snaps as the Ravens backup holder.
Rookie punter Jordan Stout is taking over the job from longtime veteran Sam Koch, who was the best in the business at the thankless job. By all accounts, Stout is doing well with his duties and knows that's paramount to allowing Justin Tucker to be Justin Tucker.
Still, the Ravens want to have a backup holder just in case and asked Proche if he'd give it a try considering how good his hands are.
"It's just catching a football and putting it down, so that's all," Proche said with a chuckle. "There's obviously a little more detail to it, because Tuck is the greatest to ever do it. So, I'm trying to go into his mind, what he wants.
"I want to do it. You all can stat check. I don't know if any receiver has ever done it. I'm sure there has, but I have no ego with this. I'll do whatever I have to do to help the team win."
