The Baltimore Orioles injury woes continue, as shortstop Gunnar Henderson’s status has now changed once again.
Recently, the team believed the injury he sustained was on the very minor side of things, and that he would not undergo an MRI or anything of the sort.
Now the tune has changed.
Henderson was diagnosed with an intercostal strain, putting his status for Opening Day in question as reported by Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun.
The insider added the club is “very, very hopeful he’ll be ready” for the start of the campaign, but they are “slow playing him” at this point in time.
Henderson was one of the most crucial pieces to the team’s success last year, and he’s expected to lead the Orioles once again as a perennial MVP candidate.
With only three spring training games under his belt, he may need more time to ramp up a bit as the injury recovery plays out, which is one of the reasons he might not be ready for the opener.
Coming off an All-Star nod and a fourth-place finish in AL MVP voting, Henderson is expected to develop even further, adding himself to the elite list of names across the league who are focal points of their respective franchises.
Producing 15.3 WAR in his first two full seasons at the MLB level is an incredible start to his career, and hopefully he can overcome this strain to continue that production.
Anything dealing with the ribs, especially at a position such as shortstop where the player is expected to dive to make plays and routinely bend at the core, is difficult to deal with.
However, with the team still believing there is a chance he may be available for Opening Day, hopefully that indicates a lesser severity.