SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Baltimore Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson has a mild right intercoastal strain, manager Brandon Hyde said Wednesday.
Hyde said the Orioles are “very, very hopeful” that Henderson will be ready for the March 27 oepner at Toronto but are being cautious with the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old shortstop was an All-Star last season, when he hit .281 with 37 homers and 92 RBIs.
“We’re going to not push a strain there, and we want to make sure that he gets it taken care of,” Hyde said. “It’s one of those sensitive areas where we don’t want anything to reoccur.”
An intercostal strain involves the muscles around the ribs. Hyde’s update to reporters Wednesday, after the Orioles beat Minnesota in a spring training game, came six days after Henderson exited a game because of lower right side discomfort.
Henderson left that Feb. 27 game after only one inning. He made a jumping catch of a line drive in the field, then grounded out when leading off for the Orioles in the bottom of the inning.
“He’s feeling a lot better, but we’re just going to obviously slow-play it a little bit and make sure that he is 100%,” Hyde said. “But he’s getting a lot better every single day.”
Henderson, who debuted with the Orioles in 2022 after being drafted in the second round in 2019, has never been on the injured list in the major leagues. He played in 150 games in 2023 and 159 games in 2024, when he set career highs with 31 doubles, 37 homers, 92 RBIs, 21 steals and an .893 OPS.
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