SARASOTA, Fla. — Baltimore Orioles’ standout shortstop Gunnar Henderson exited a spring training match on Thursday due to discomfort in his lower right side.
Henderson, who was honored as the American League Rookie of the Year in 2023 and was chosen for the 2024 All-Star Game, was involved in two critical moments during the game against Toronto. He made an impressive jump to catch a line drive and later grounded out. Despite his performance, Orioles’ manager Brandon Hyde decided to remove him from the game as a precautionary measure. Hyde mentioned after the match that Henderson experienced some tightening in his side following the catch, but assured that no MRI is necessary.
Since being drafted as a second-round pick in 2019 and debuting with the Orioles in 2022, Henderson has consistently avoided the injured list in Major League Baseball. His record in the 2023 season includes participating in 150 games, while in 2024, he expanded that to 159 games. During that time, he set personal bests with 31 doubles, 37 home runs, 92 RBIs, 21 stolen bases, and achieved an .893 OPS.
In addition to Henderson, the Orioles are also feeling the absence of Jordan Westburg. The All-Star third baseman is sidelined temporarily with a sore lower back and is expected to be out for at least a few more days.
