Orioles star Gunnar Henderson provides positive injury update ahead of 2025 Opening Day

Baltimore Orioles star Gunnar Henderson's availability for the Opening Day remains under question. He was diagnosed with a mild right intercostal strain during his Spring Training game against the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this month.

The shortstop's availability will pretty much determine how far the Orioles go in 2025. The slugger hit 37 home runs and batted .281 in 2024, earning AL MVP votes as well.

During an interview with MLB Network at the Orioles Spring Training facility on Wednesday, Henderson shared encouraging news regarding his recovery. He is making steady progress toward a return to full baseball activities.

"Progressing really well right now. Everything's feeling good," Henderson said. "I got to take some ground balls today, swung a little bit more. So, we're making strides in the right direction.

"At this point, it's just going to be getting the amount of at-bats I feel I need to be ready," Henderson added. "So, like I said, I'm progressing pretty well. So, I should be able to get that done."

What happened to Gunnar Henderson?

During the game against the Blue Jays, Gunner Henderson, at shortstop, robbed Bo Bichette of a hit while hurting himself on the play. He played the rest of the first inning before being rested ahead of the start of the second inning. Later it was revealed that he was experiencing lower right side discomfort.

“It was just like the whole act of what he did,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Not sure if it’s how he caught it -- it’s more probably how he landed and just kind of crunched his side a little bit.”

The manager also shared that he thinks Henderson will be able to make the Opening Day.

“I’m very, very hopeful,” Hyde said. “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.”

The promising update on Wednesday suggests that while the injury is not contentious, the Orioles won't risk pacing him toward recovery.