Orioles injury update: Gunnar Henderson scare, Jordan Westburg still missing

Well, Orioles fans had their first real scare of the 2025 spring training season on Thursday, as superstar shortstop Gunnar Henderson exited the O's matchup against the Blue Jays with right side discomfort.

Henderson left the game with an Orioles trainer after feeling something in an attempt to snag a Bo Bichette line drive. Henderson wound up catching the ball, but Orioles fans were dreading the cost after seeing that the shortstop was summarily taken out of the game.

After the matchup, manager Brandon Hyde calmed some of our fears, telling reporters that Henderson's removal was purely precautionary and that the team does not have an MRI or X-Ray scheduled for the 23 year old.

It's certainly possible that the Orioles hold Henderson out of action for a day or two. The team is scheduled to travel to Fort Myers to take on the Twins this afternoon, and it wouldn't be surprising to learn that Henderson stuck around in Sarasota to get an extra day of rest. The Orioles play their next home game on Saturday afternoon, so if Henderson is feeling 100% by then, we'd expect him to return to the lineup against the Pirates.

Orioles fans holding their breath after Gunner Henderson injury, Jordan Westburg still absent from lineup

The loss of Henderson on Thursday meant that the Orioles were briefly without the entire left side of the infield, as All Star third baseman Jordan Westburg has remained out of the lineup for nearly a week.

It was reported on Thursday afternoon that Westburg has been dealing with back stiffness, causing him to miss all of the Orioles games this week. He's been out since last Saturday. Brandon Hyde told reporters on Thursday that it'll be a couple more days before Westburg starts swinging a bat again, so it looks like the O's might not get Westburg back until next week at the earliest.

Westburg has sky-high expectations coming into 2025. He had a strong breakout year in 2024, hitting .264/.312/.481 with 18 homers and 6 steals. He earned his first career All Star appearance in the effort and is expected to be a major part of the Orioles' offense as they push towards a third-straight postseason appearance.

With any luck, the additional time off will help Westburg get back on the right track. A little extra rest in the early going isn't going to hurt, and the last thing the O's need right now is to rush someone like Westburg back only for him to aggravate the injury further. Hopefully we'll see him return to the diamond before the end of next week.