Rehab Assignment: Gunnar Henderson

Orioles' All-Star shortstop will begin rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk tonight

*Cover Photo Credit: Ulysses Munoz, The Baltimore Banner

Tides fans in attendance for tonight's season opener are in for a pleasant surprise.

Gunnar Henderson will be in the lineup.

The 2023 American League Rookie of the Year and 2024 MLB All Star will finally return to game action for the first time since the first week of Spring Training exhibitions. A right intercostal strain sidelined him for the majority of camp, and he was placed on the Injured List just days ago for the start of the season.

Now, according to MASN's Roch Kubatko, he will begin a rehab assignment with the Tides starting tonight.

Gunnar Henderson will rehab with the Tides starting tonight. Photo: John Topoleski

There is no timetable for how long Henderson will play for the Tides. The Orioles remain optimistic that it will be a short stint on the IL given that he can be activated as soon as next Thursday, April 3, for the series finale against the Boston Red Sox. Longtime 100.7 The Fan sports reporter and The Bmore Baseball Podcast co-host Jerry Coleman echoed off of that in a recent episode.

Regardless, this is meant for Henderson to catch up, build back some strength, and get some early reps on the field before returning to the big league club. There is no way that he can be rushed back to the MLB roster after having not been able to see game action during Spring Training because of the injury.

Henderson followed up his 2023 Rookie of the Year campaign with his best year yet in 2024. He posted an .893 OPS while mashing 38 home runs, slugging .529, and collecting 92 RBIs along the way. He was also a first-time All-Star in Arlington, Texas, and was the Number 1 seed at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby.

The last time he was in Norfolk, he was baseball's Number 1 prospect. This was in 2022 when in 65 games, he hit .302 with an .894 OPS and 41 RBI. He also hit for the cycle on his 21st birthday.

All of this was en route to his Major League debut in August and to what has been a star-studded but brief big league career thus far. Henderson looks to use these reps in Triple-A as Spring Training for himself in an effort to return to the Orioles' lineup soon and resume helping them compete for a World Series title.

Former Tide Jackson Holliday will take over shortstop duties in the mean time. He will most likely shift back to second base when Henderson is activated from the Injured List.

Purchase tickets to Opening Night and Henderson's return here.