Gunnar Henderson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson went 1-for-5 with a single in his team's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins. The Alabama native has had some trouble getting going this season, but he's collected at least one hit in 11 of 12 contests, including nine in a row before Tuesday's outing. It's an encouraging stretch, though he's only recorded one extra-base hit since the calendar turned to May (double). After getting moved out of the leadoff spot about a month ago, he found himself back there against the Twins on Thursday. While the former second-round pick hasn't been downright dreadful, he's still not performing like a first-round pick in fantasy -- a price many managers paid this offseason. A silver lining is that he's hitting the ball harder on average thus far (94.4 MPH average exit velocity), and could still be shaking off the rust of his limited spring training.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson had himself a nice day at the plate during Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. He kicked off the scoring for the O's with a home run in the first inning. He would continue his hot streak with an RBI double in the second. Henderson finished with a solid game going 2-for-3 with a homer, double, and two walks in the win. It has been a slow start for the 23-year-old, but maybe this performance will help spark his bat. Despite the sluggish start, Henderson remains a must-have in all fantasy formats.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson was productive in a 6-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. Henderson went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo homer, and two runs in the win. The veteran shortstop kicked off the scoring in the ballgame with a solo homer off Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee in the first innning. After missing the first week or so of the regular season with a right intercostal strain, Henderson is hitting .239 with one homer, seven runs, one RBI, and two steals across 46 at-bats. He is off to a slow start in the power department but hit 65 combined homers over his previous two seasons, so fantasy managers need to stay patient with him in the early going.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs, and two steals in a 5-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday. Henderson was just activated from the injured list on Friday after missing the beginning of the season with a right intercostal strain. He appears to be fully healthy now as he picked up his first two steals of the season in the win on Monday. Henderson is coming off a career year that saw him emerge as a power/speed threat with 37 homers and 21 stolen bases in 2024. He should be locked into fantasy lineups moving forward.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (side) was activated off the 10-day injured list on Friday. The Orioles optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. Henderson has been sidelined since February due to a right intercostal strain. However, the 23-year-old did not miss much time and will already return to the MLB roster. Henderson posted a .263 AVG with two home runs across a five-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk during the week. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on the Orioles' starting nine, but given that he was activated off the injured list, he will likely make his regular-season debut this evening. Last season, Henderson enjoyed an excellent campaign as he posted a .281/.364/.529 slash line with 37 home runs and 21 stolen bases. He generated an elite .374 xwOBA. If he returns on Friday, he will face Kansas City right-hander Seth Lugo.