UPDATE: Gunnar Henderson has been reinstated from the 10-day IL.
Henderson and the Orioles will face Seth Lugo and the Royals on Friday night. On DraftKings, Henderson is $5,500 and could be considered a bit of a risky play, as Lugo surrendered only 0.60 home runs per nine to LHBs in 2024. That said, Baltimore is a slight underdog on the moneyline (-108) and it feels like a good wager with its young star back in action.
Gunnar Henderson was placed on the 10-day IL to begin the Orioles’ season after suffering an intercostal injury early in Spring Training. While there had been some speculation that Henderson might be activated prior to Thursday’s afternoon tilt against the Red Sox, the All-Star is not in Baltimore’s lineup. According to manager Brandon Hyde, Henderson will most likely return to the 26-man roster on Friday in Kansas City.
If Henderson’s rehab numbers are any indication, the shortstop is ready to have an immediate impact on the Orioles’ offensive potential. In 20 plate appearances in Triple-A, Henderson registered a pair of home runs and a .381 wOBA. In 2024, despite a relatively underwhelming second half, the 23-year-old was among the best players in all of baseball, slashing .281/.364/.529 with a 155 wRC+ and an 8.0 fWAR.
Though he began 2025 on the IL, Henderson owns +1300 odds on the DraftKings Sportsbook to be American League MVP, trailing only the likes of Aaron Judge (-115) and Bobby Witt Jr. (+450). Last season, Henderson finished fourth in AL MVP voting, with the aforementioned Judge collecting all 30 first place votes.
