This story was excerpted from Jake Rill's Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
BALTIMORE -- With all of the challenging injury news hitting the Orioles over the past two months -- over the past eight or nine months, really, considering the run of bad luck in last year¡¯s second half -- here¡¯s something for fans to be excited about.
Gunnar Henderson will be back here soon.
Monday¡¯s announcement that Colton Cowser was being placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left thumb fracture was a tough one for Baltimore. The 25-year-old outfielder was coming off a standout rookie season, during which he became one of the most popular players in the city (evidenced by the cow-themed merchandise always sprinkled throughout the stands at Camden Yards and even on the road).
Cowser joined a group on the IL that already featured Henderson (right intercostal strain), starter Grayson Rodriguez (right elbow inflammation) and reliever Andrew Kittredge (left knee surgery), among others. The O¡¯s seemingly haven¡¯t been able to catch many breaks.
But Henderson¡¯s imminent return can keep hopes high and morale up.
¡°Oh yeah. We got like one of the best players in the world coming back,¡± first baseman Ryan O¡¯Hearn said on Monday. ¡°So that¡¯s a good thing.¡±
Very much so. Henderson, who is eligible to be reinstated from the IL on Thursday, was tremendous during the 2024 season. The star shortstop placed fourth in American League MVP Award voting and was named a first-time All-Star during a sophomore campaign in which he slashed .281/.364/.529 with 31 doubles, seven triples, 37 home runs and 92 RBIs in 159 games.
Henderson won¡¯t appear in that many games for the Orioles this season, considering the 23-year-old has already missed five. But he may only miss one more (Wednesday).
Manager Brandon Hyde recently said Henderson is on track to return as soon as he¡¯s eligible.
This is exactly why the O¡¯s were so cautious with Henderson (and other injured players). They didn¡¯t want to force him onto the Opening Day roster and risk the injury becoming a lingering issue. It appears Henderson is no longer feeling the effects.
Through three rehab games at Triple-A Norfolk, Henderson is 4-for-12 (.333) with one home run and three RBIs. He started twice at shortstop and once at designated hitter.
¡°He looked really good. He took some really good swings,¡± said outfielder Dylan Carlson, who opened the season at Norfolk before being recalled Monday. ¡°Obviously, a special talent. You get that guy some reps, get him out there, he¡¯s going to do some pretty cool things.¡±
Before Cowser¡¯s injury, the Orioles appeared to be facing a roster crunch ahead of Henderson¡¯s return. They likely would have had to consider either optioning outfielder Heston Kjerstad or designating infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo for assignment. Neither seemed ideal.
Now, it¡¯s most likely that Carlson will be optioned to make room for Henderson upon his arrival.
Even without Cowser, Baltimore should still have plenty of coverage for the outfield with Kjerstad, Cedric Mullins, Tyler O¡¯Neill and Ram¨®n Laureano all in the mix. Plus, O¡¯Hearn is capable of filling in at the corners and Mateo in center.
One of the only good things about the Orioles¡¯ early injury troubles? The fact they¡¯re happening now, rather than in September.
¡°It has some positives to it,¡± Mullins said, ¡°because we know we¡¯ll get guys back earlier as well.¡±
¡°It¡¯s a long season, and this is a marathon,¡± Hyde said. ¡°You want to get off to a good start, you try and stay as healthy as possible, but injuries happen around the league and you just need to keep going. The game¡¯s not going to stop, and the schedule¡¯s not going to stop.¡±