Gunnar Henderson provides Orioles with encouraging update as Opening Day draws near

The Orioles have slogged through spring training this year with new injuries seemingly popping up every other day. This has greatly affected roster projections for the team's March 27 opener against the Blue Jays, slated to take place north of the border.

The worst injury news the Orioles received involved the team's best player, Gunnar Henderson. The O's star shortstop suffered an intercostal strain in a spring training game against the Blue Jays following a leaping catch to snag a Bo Bichette line drive up the middle.

Henderson has been out of the lineup ever since, with the Orioles mixing and matching at shortstop with depth pieces like Livan Soto, Luis Vazquez. They've also surprised some fans by deploying second baseman Jackson Holliday at shortstop on occasion, though it's unclear if they'll resort to that in the regular season.

Said Manager Brandon Hyde after the injury, "We're going to not push a strain there, and we want to make sure that he gets it taken care of. It's one of those sensitive areas where we don't want anything to reoccur". It's a fair statement, as the Orioles can hardly afford to lose Henderson for an extended period of time.

Orioles fans can breathe in a sigh of relief: Gunnar Henderson expects to be back by Opening Day

Henderson thus delivered some much-needed good news on Saturday when he told reporters he expects to be in the lineup on Opening Day.

As reported by Jake Rill of MLB.com, Henderson returned to the batting cage this past Tuesday and took ground balls for the first time Wednesday following the injury. While the Orioles only have ten spring games left, Henderson hopes to get back into the action in Florida before the team heads north at the end of the month.

Henderson's eventual return is a welcome sight, as it allows Jackson Holliday to shift back to his new position of second base, and returns Ramon Urías to his utility role. With Henderson feeling bullish about returning to the lineup, fans can cautiously write his name in pencil at the top of projected lineup cards for the Orioles opener in Toronto, which is suddenly just 12 days away.