Mind-Boggling: Orioles fans have a reason to be happy. Gunnar Henderson is getting close to returning after this measures…
Baltimore Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson is getting some good news. Henderson is getting closer to being able to play in a Spring Training game for the team, per MLB Network.
Henderson hasn’t played a single Grapefruit League game for the team this year due to an oblique injury. The infielder could go as soon as Monday, per CBS Sports. He had started taking batting practice again on Friday for the team. Henderson adds an incredible amount of depth to the Orioles infield, as he is able to go at third base or shortstop for the ball club.
The Orioles have found a gem in Henderson, who has played 184 games for the team the last two seasons. He won a Silver Slugger Award in 2023, as well as the coveted American League Rookie of the Year honor. The infielder has 32 career home runs, with 100 runs batted in on his short career. The Orioles took Henderson in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft.
Orioles fans are certainly chomping at the bit to see Henderson return to the field. Baltimore had an outstanding season in 2023, finishing the year at 101-61. The Orioles made the American League playoffs but got swept by the Texas Rangers in three games during the American League Division Series. Baltimore fans are hoping that Henderson can lead the team to even greater things in 2024. Baltimore hasn’t won the World Series since 1983.
The Orioles continue their Spring Training games Sunday, with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first pitch is at 1:05. Henderson will surely be cheering on his team as he gets ready to make his return soon.
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New York Yankees Manager Shares Interesting Opinion on Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles established themselves as one of the best teams in baseball in 2023. A quick rebuild has the Orioles as a team that can win a World Series this season, despite how young their roster is.
Doing so won’t be an easy task. The New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays are expected to be in the mix to win the American League East, but after last season, the division runs through Baltimore.
Many believe that the American League East is the best division in baseball and that’s tough to argue when all teams are healthy.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone recognizes that and spoke about the challenge that awaits his team, according to Greg Joyce of the New York Post:
“I think they’ll be really good again.”
The signs are there for the Orioles to be one of the top teams in baseball again. With the addition of Corbin Burnes and Jackson Holliday’s potential debut, they added to what was already an impressive roster.
“Looking forward to that challenge. Obviously, they’ve come fully out of their rebuild and established a really good young core of players. It’s the American League East. You always look forward to going up against the best, but certainly they are formidable.”
Boone’s comments show a clear respect for them.
As Baltimore heads into the 2024 season, expectations are at an all-time high. While that can be difficult for young teams, they proved last season that pressure won’t get to them.
Winning a series in the postseason will be their next goal after being swept in the ALDS by the Texas Rangers last year. Anything less than a postseason series win would be looked at as a disappointment given what they should last season.
The Orioles have earned those types of expectations and now it’s time to fulfill them.
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