How Orioles could handle losing Henderson

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde finally could joke about it.

The closing of southbound I-75 due to an accident involving two semis that caused a significant hydraulic oil leak. His arrival in the visiting clubhouse at Hammond Stadium about an hour after first pitch. Sunscreen and a look of aggravation on his face.

Asked after the game about Grayson Rodriguez’s sluggish start, Hyde said, “On the radio, it was …”

He laughed for the first time – a few minutes after sharing the news of Gunnar Henderson’s strained right intercostal muscle. Someone needed to break the tension.

Losing Henderson for any length of time would hurt, and intercostals can bring a lengthy recovery period. But Hyde stressed how the diagnosis was a “very mild” strain, and that Henderson was improving “every single day.”

This is why mock Opening Day rosters and lineups are done for fun. The Orioles appeared set at the earliest point in any spring training camp in recent memory, 13 pitchers and 13 position players easy to identify.

Hyde began his media session with updates on Henderson and reliever Andrew Kittredge, who underwent an MRI on his sore left knee and will receive multiple opinions. That’s never good. This doesn’t happen if the first opinion is, “No worries, everything looks fine.”

There is no replacing Henderson, who led the club with a 9.1 bWAR, slashed .281/.364/.529 with 31 doubles, seven triples, 37 home runs and 92 RBIs in 159 games and finished fourth in Most Valuable Player voting in the American League. The Orioles can’t point to someone on the bench with instructions to do that, but they can dip into the depth that they worked so hard to build and hope to ride out the storm.

Liván Soto went from 40-man roster casualty and camp invitee to one of the favorites to make the club if Henderson isn’t ready for Opening Day. Hyde already liked him, and Soto had three more hits yesterday to give him seven in 15 at-bats. He can move around the infield, and he can get back on the 40-man with Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells ticketed for the 60-day injured list.

Other infielders in camp include Coby Mayo, Emmanuel Rivera, who homered again yesterday, Luis Vázquez, Terrin Vavra and hit machine Vimael Machín, who’s 8-for-15. It could depend on whether the Orioles want a middle infielder to play shortstop or someone for third base while Jordan Westburg take Henderson’s position. And don’t forget that Ramón Urías can play anywhere.

Mayo is on the 40-man roster, but he’s 1-for-20 this spring. He could use a few hits and a shot of luck.

Mayo struck out in his first at-bat yesterday and lined to left field in the next two. The Twins’ Gabriel Yanez threw Mayo four consecutive changeups after entering the game for injured Justin Topa, and Mayo pulled the last one at 100.2 mph off the bat. Austin Martin ran it down.

Jackson Holliday is a true shortstop who’s learning to play second base, but the Orioles seem committed to keeping him on the right side of the infield.

Then, there’s Kittredge, who appeared in one game and might not get into any others depending on the severity of his injury.

Right away, you can point to Bryan Baker as a logical replacement. That one took about a half-second.

Scouts from other organizations are tracking him because he’s out of options and has retired all nine batters faced, including three more yesterday. The Twins went down in order in the eighth inning and Baker’s fastball topped out at 98.2 mph. He also hit 98 mph, 97.9 twice, 97.7 and 97.1, and he mixed in his changeup and slider.

An American League scout watched the first two appearances online yesterday and liked how the ball was coming out of Baker’s hand. The four-seamer is ticking up and the changeup could be a devastating secondary pitch after a slight adjustment with the grip.

This is why you hold onto Baker in the early weeks of camp. The market for him is developing, but the Orioles might need him.

David Robertson remains on the free agent market, should the Orioles choose to go outside the organization. I don’t expect any reunions with Craig Kimbrel or Dillon Tate.

One beat writer endorsed Kyle Gibson’s return in a relief role. I don’t see it. Then again, I didn’t see Liván Soto and Bryan Baker as real possibilities to break camp. You just never know.