The Baltimore Orioles are just 3-4 after facing two teams that could threaten their quest for American League East supremacy, but they are about to get major reinforcements. Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who suffered an intercostal strain in spring training, is expected to come off the injured list for Friday night’s road game versus the Kansas City Royals, according to MLB.com’s Jake Rill.
The O’s have scored a good amount of runs without their top offensive contributor, but they could definitely use the consistent excellence he has been known to provide over the last couple of years. Henderson arrived in Baltimore to loads of fan fare, and he has lived up to it so far. The former second-round draft pick earned a Silver Slugger and American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2023 and then secured a top five MVP finish and first-career All-Star selection the following season.
Baltimore and its fan base has been eager to see what Henderson is going to unleash in 2025. Center fielder Cedric Mullins and catcher Adley Rutschman helped lay the foundation of an Orioles revival, but No. 2’s emergence was arguably the biggest catalyst for the franchise advancing to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1996-97. The pressure is on him to lead Baltimore to a deep October run this year.
How will the Orioles SS respond to the layoff?
A healthy Gunnar Henderson has the talent to make the O’s lineup as intimidating as any in the AL. He is slashing .268/.346/.504/.850 with 69 home runs through 343 MLB games. The 23-year-old aims to build on a stellar start to his career when he presumably returns to action on Friday.
Do not expect Kauffman Stadium to give him a warm welcome, however. Following a home series loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles will trust Henderson to quickly put an indent in the new MLB season. But shaking off rust will be a tough task versus 2024 AL Cy Young runner-up Seth Lugo.
The post When will Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson return from injury? appeared first on ClutchPoints.
