Gunnar Henderson Gets Honest About New Faces in Orioles Infield

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson addressed the fresh faces in his infield.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (2) | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles were probably not expecting so much change within their infield after the 2025 season.

Gunnar Henderson is Baltimore's franchise player and presumably their shortstop of the future, given that they can lock him down to a long-term contract. And while Jackson Holliday hasn't fully proven himself on baseball's biggest stage, the belief is that he'll blossom into an elite second baseman and play alongside Henderson for years to come.

Jordan Westburg also seemed to be penciled in at third base for the 2026 season, and the Orioles had several appealing options at first base. Then things changed when Baltimore signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million contract in free agency.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso (25) | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

This gave Baltimore a clear-cut first baseman, which meant that the infield seemed to be set.

Then the injuries struck. Holliday suffered a broken hamate bone in his left hand that required surgery, and Westburg first had an oblique injury, then had a partial tear in his UCL and will miss the first chunk of the season.

Read more: Jordan Westburg's 'Frustrating' Message Before Injury Rehab Turns Heads

Because of these injuries, Baltimore has added Blaze Alexander, Bryan Ramos, and Thairo Estrada to their roster over the past couple of weeks.

Baltimore Orioles infielder Blaze Alexander (23) | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Gunnar Henderson Addresses Change in Orioles Infield

MASN's Roch Kubatko spoke with Gunnar Henderson for a February 23 article, where he addressed all the changes in the Orioles' infield.

“Definitely some different faces, but we’ve molded in pretty well. That’s what spring training is for is getting comfortable with all the guys and you never know when your name’s gonna be called, so they’ve been doing great and really enjoy playing with them so far," Henderson said in the article.

When speaking about the injury Jordan Westburg suffered, Henderson said, “It sucks. He works his butt off. I hate it for him because I know he just wants to be out there on the field. That’s all he wants to do, playing out there with the guys. Praying the shot works and he gets out there soon.”

Henderson on infield changes, WBC and more (plus Povich start and other notes on today’s 10-7 loss) - MASN https://t.co/MUNzRkxdXl

— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) February 23, 2026

The thought is that Coby Mayo has the best chance to win the third base job while Westburg is sidelined to start the season, but one would assume that the role is up for anybody who can claim it during spring training.

While this early-season adversity is not ideal, at least Baltimore's infield has Henderson and Alonso healthy right now.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.