Gunnar Henderson’s recent uneven stretches have sparked a familiar baseball question: how much does a normal spring training really matter?
For one reader asking about Henderson’s 2026 underperformance, the answer pointed straight to routine. Players, the response said, are “creatures of habit,” and a six-week spring training gives them the kind of gradual build-up they need. Henderson, the answer added, was not the only World Baseball Classic participant who had a rough 2026 season.
Roman Anthony, Byron Buxton, Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Paul Skenes, Will Smith and Logan Webb were cited as other Team USA players who either dealt with injuries or fell below their usual level. At the same time, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Bryce Harper and Bobby Witt Jr. were noted as examples of players who still turned in excellent seasons after taking part.
Henderson himself believed the tradeoff was worth it. He felt the chance to play in a World Series atmosphere outweighed the time lost from camp. The same response also suggested Jackson Holliday, who was not on Team USA, may have been affected by missing a full spring as well.
That led to a bigger worry: the World Baseball Classic is a strong event, but these kinds of outcomes could make players think twice about participating in the next one.
Another reader asked about Henderson and the injured list, specifically why he did not spend more time there when hurt. The response was blunt that teams cannot simply place a player on the injured list on their own. In most cases, it is obvious when a player needs to go; in others, teams have to persuade the player that rest is the smart move because the injury could worsen and hurt the club.
Henderson, according to the answer, believed he could keep playing through the injury. He was described as having a high pain tolerance and missed only three games. The response also noted that Henderson did miss the start of the 2025 season with an intercostal injury and played much of that year with a shoulder injury, which he did not disclose until January.
The bottom line was that star players such as Henderson usually get more leeway in these situations. And if a team has to choose, it would generally rather have players who are eager to push through relatively minor injuries than players who do not want to attempt it at all.
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Former Orioles Arm Could Still Haunt Baltimore's ALDS Picture
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Now there is at least a path back, with Wells reportedly turning in a successful bullpen session on Sept. 29 and potentially putting himself in line for the Division Series against the Yankees. For the Orioles, the bigger concern is simple: Wells has long been especially effective against left-handed hitters, which makes him the kind of bullpen piece the Rays could lean on in a short series if he is ready in time. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Just Closed The Book On A Trade Fans Still Debate
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By the time the trade deadline arrived, the Orioles had made their choice and sent Kremer to Minnesota, ending a run that had turned uneven as injuries and inconsistency crept in. The move still lingers because of what followed: Kremer looked sharp in his Twins debut against Baltimore and then finished with a strong stretch that has him lined up as a likely back-end starter for Minnesota in 2027. For Orioles fans, it is the kind of trade that still invites debate, not because the decision was hard to understand, but because the return is always measured against what the pitcher became somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Now Have A Bigger Debate About Craig Albernaz
Craig Albernazs first season in Baltimore has already produced the kind of debate that usually follows a manager much later in his tenure. The Orioles have spent enough time under a microscope this year that every strategic choice, every postgame explanation and every lineup wrinkle has started to feel loaded, especially when the discussion turns to how the club has handled young players and uneven stretches of play.
The scrutiny has only grown with former Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick weighing in and putting responsibility on Albernaz for some of the teams failings, while the organization also made clear Albernaz and executive Mike Elias are staying in place through 2027. For fans, that turns the conversation from simply whether a decision was right to whether the bigger picture is working at all, and it leaves one of the franchises central questions hanging over the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]