The Baltimore Orioles were hit with a rather large question mark for Opening Day.
Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, one of the five most valuable players in baseball last year, sustained a mild right intercostal strain last Thursday, putting his availability for Baltimore’s season opener later this month into question, according to MLB.com’s Jake Rill.
Henderson sustained the injury while leaping for a highlight catch (video above) in the first inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Henderson remained in the game and hit in the bottom of the inning but was out of the game at the start of the second frame.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde reportedly said the team is continuing to “slow-play” Henderson’s recovery and is prioritizing not rushing the 23-year-old back, but he expressed optimism that the All-Star would be ready for Opening Day.
From MLB.com:
“I’m very, very hopeful,” Hyde said on the likelihood of Henderson being ready for Opening Day. “But we’re going to not push a strain there, and we want to make sure that he gets it taken care of. It’s one of those sensitive areas where you don’t want anything to reoccur.”
Henderson is coming off a breakout 2024 season in which he established himself in the inner circle of baseball’s elite players. At age 23, he hit .281/.364/.529 with 37 homers, sixth-most in the AL, and 21 stolen bases while supplying solid defense at shortstop.
That effort added up to 9.1 bWAR for Henderson, third-most in the AL and earned him fourth place in AL MVP voting. With the Orioles expected to contend this season, losing a player such as that for any amount of time is a blow. In five seasons as a professional, Henderson has never been placed on the injured list, major or minor league.
The Orioles are scheduled to begin their season on the road against the Blue Jays on March 27.
