Baltimore Orioles Superstar Returns to Baseball Activities After Injury Scare

The Baltimore Orioles will be seeing a welcomed sight on the practice field after his return from his injury scare.

Orioles infielder Gunnar Henderson fields a ground ball during drills on Tuesday. The Baltimore Orioles held their first full-squad workout of the 2025 spring training season on Tuesday, Feb. 18th in Sarasota, Florida. | Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are seeing a sight for sore eyes returning to the practice field.

After Orioles superstar shortstop Gunnar Henderson was pulled from a spring training game last week following a play where he landed awkwardly after a leaping catch, the team said he was removed only as a precaution and that he was going to be fine.

It seemed a bit more serious than just a precaution, however, when Henderson missed practices following the incident and manager Brandon Hyde said things along the line of the team being "hopeful" he could return for Opening Day.

Though it may have been a bit more than just a precaution, Henderson appears to be on the right track.

He is taking a major step on Tuesday by returning to baseball activities, which includes starting a hitting progression and fielding some grounders according to the skipper, via Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun.

Hyde called the results from his return "encouraging," while qualifying that it was all light activity.

If the Orioles are treating the injury with an abundance of caution, it's understandable why that's their approach.

The 2023 American League Rookie of the Year followed up his breakout campaign two seasons ago with an MVP-quality showing in 2024, slashing .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs and 92 RBI while also providing a defensive bWAR of 1.5.

If Baltimore is going to get anywhere near where they want to be this season, Henderson needs to be on the field.

With perennial double-digit WAR figures being put up, the star is both the present and future of the franchise, so the Orioles are being careful.

Fans will hope this caution does not result in him missing Opening Day, but it seems things are moving in the right direction.