Saturday, April 05

Welcome to another edition of the Orioles Beat newsletter. After Monday’s home opener, the O’s have an off-day today before closing out the three-game series vs. the American League East rival Red Sox on Wednesday and Thursday. They’ll head to Kansas City this weekend.

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 Ramón 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.”

In less than two weeks, the Orioles will have a weekend filled with giveaways. There are promotions scheduled for all three games vs. the AL East rival Blue Jays from April 11-13 at Camden Yards.

• Friday, April 11: Clear stadium bag (first 10,000 fans)
• Saturday, April 12: Cedric Mullins T-shirt (first 15,000 fans)
• Sunday, April 13: Oriole Bird plush toy (first 8,000 fans 14 and under)

Tickets remain available for all three games. The April 12 contest will also feature the return of Baltimore’s orange-on-orange uniform combination, which the O’s are expected to wear about five or six times this season.

The April 13 game is Kids' Opening Day, while the April 12 and 13 matchups will both feature the Berks Live Hot Dog Race.

“It’s in the rules, it’s legal. I think good hitters can hit with different types of bats, all different kinds of bats. I know it’s very buzzworthy right now because of the power that the Yankees just showed and what they just did the last couple games. If it’s legal and it’s in the rules, I think that anybody can do it and use it.” -- Hyde, on the recent MLB buzz surrounding “Torpedo” bats

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