The Baltimore Orioles could be without one of their stars when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays to open the 2025 season.
Gunnar Henderson suffered a right intercostal strain during last Thursday's spring training game against the Blue Jays while making a leaping catch. According to MLB.com's Jake Rill, the injury puts Henderson's status for opening day in question.
“I’m very, very hopeful,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said of Henderson being ready to go for March 27. “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.”
An intercostal strain involves the muscles around the ribs. Hyde's update to reporters Wednesday, after the Orioles beat Minnesota in a spring training game, came six days after Henderson exited a game because of lower right side discomfort.
The 23-year-old Henderson emerged as one of MLB's most productive players in 2024, posting 8.0 fWAR over 159 games while slashing .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs, 92 RBIs and 21 stolen bases.
On the play that he was injured, Henderson stole a hit from Bo Bichette but proceeded to play the rest of the inning and take his at-bat in the bottom of the first. He was later removed due to lower right side discomfort in the second inning.
“He’s feeling a lot better, but we’re just going to obviously slow-play it a little bit and make sure that he is 100 per cent,” Hyde said. “But he’s getting a lot better every single day.”
Henderson, who debuted with the Orioles in 2022 after being drafted in the second round in 2019, has never been on the injured list in the major leagues. He played in 150 games in 2023 and 159 games in 2024.
Baltimore will take on the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre from March 27-30 in a four-game series to begin the season.
— With files from the Associated Press
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