Despite O's loss, Henderson 'felt good' in first game back

KANSAS CITY -- Gunnar Henderson watched the first seven Orioles games this season like most fans -- on television.

Henderson’s first injured list stint of his four-year career -- due to a right intercostal strain sustained on Feb. 27 -- came to an end when he was activated from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday. And the 2024 All-Star Game starter was as glad as anyone to get back on the field.

“Yeah, it sucks having to watch your team play on TV, I’ll tell you that much,” Henderson said prior to the Orioles’ 8-2 loss in the opener against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. “Obviously, I was very disappointed I wasn’t well enough for the Opening Day roster, but I was able to get my work in and I feel ready to go now.

“It was definitely different because that was the first time I had to do that. Definitely not as fun watching it, I would much rather be playing in it.”

Henderson made his presence back on the field known instantly. On the second pitch he saw, he drilled a 106.8 mph exit velocity line drive right up the middle, which was caught by a perfectly placed Bobby Witt Jr. It was one of three balls Henderson, who finished 1-for-4, hit that had an exit velocity of at least 104 mph. He smacked a 105.3 mph grounder in the second inning before beating out an infield single in the eighth inning for his first hit -- this one swatted at 104.8 mph.

“First at-bat he hits a bullet up the middle, right at Witt. [Then] showed his athleticism on the infield single there [in the eighth],” manager Brandon Hyde said. “It’s the first game, so he’s just getting into a groove now.”

Henderson added: “The at-bats felt good. I felt like I was in my legs. Glad to see -- and felt like I was in a good spot.”

He was also put to the test physically on Friday, toughing out temperatures in the 40s with constant wind and rain. Those conditions led to sloppy play by Baltimore’s defense, which included an error from Henderson at short on a ground ball from Salvador Perez in the fifth, which led to an unearned run.

“First cold game of the year, so that’s always fun,” Henderson said. “But I’ve been putting in work. I got a little too aggressive when I probably shouldn't have, but I made a couple other plays.”

Henderson, who finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2024, didn’t play in a game from Feb. 27 to March 28, when he began his rehab stint at Triple-A. He made five starts for the Tides -- four at shortstop and one at designated hitter -- and went 5-for-19 (.263) with two home runs and four RBIs. He did make three errors during his 28 2/3 innings at shortstop in Triple-A, though.

Henderson’s error on Friday, along with Heston Kjerstad’s misplay on a high fly ball to left in the first inning, both resulted in runs for the Royals.

“I’m sure the conditions [played a part] a little bit, but they are playing in the same conditions,” Hyde said. “We have to get better defensively. We were pretty good the last few years, and that’s something we have to get back to. We can’t allow extra [bases] -- we have to make the routine play and throw to the right base and things like that.”

With Baltimore’s star shortstop back in the fold, the club expects to not only find consistency in the field, but at the plate. The 23-year-old, who hit .281 with 37 homers, 31 doubles, seven triples and 92 RBIs in a team-high 159 games last season, can be a major boost to a lineup that has had an unreliable output to begin the season.

In Baltimore’s five losses, the club has scored just nine total runs. In the three wins? 29 runs.

“We had our ups and downs the first two series, and it’s nice to have Gunnar back,” Hyde said pregame.

“We should be a deep lineup. We should be tough outs all the way down the order. … I feel like we haven’t clicked offensively yet, we’ve had some really nice games offensively, but this team could be a really good offense.”

That’s possible with Henderson back atop the lineup. And he’s just as excited as anyone to be back with a Baltimore club with high expectations.

“That’s always what I want to do -- is be on the field and play with these guys,” Henderson said. “That’s why I was doing everything I could to get back on the field, and I’m happy to be back.”