Baltimore OriolesshortstopGunnar Henderson is enduring the worst season of his career in 2026.
Through 119 games, the 25-year-old is slashing an uncharacteristic .216/.296/.392 with 19 home runs and 49 RBI. However, Henderson looked like his vintage self on Tuesday.
In the Orioles' 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins, Henderson went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double, and a single. All three of Henderson's hits came in his first three at-bats.
Tuesday snapped a five-game hitless streak for Henderson and was also his first multi-hit game since July 20.
Following Baltimore's win, Henderson expressed relief after his big night.
“I felt like it’s been a long time coming," Henderson said. "I felt like I had a lot of good swings recently and hit some balls hard and just had nothing to show for it, obviously. So to finally get one felt like a little bit of a relief.”
Henderson's struggles have been a constant all season. He hit just .214 through April and owned a .225 batting average over 28 games in May. In June, Henderson bounced back to a .245/.350/.396 slash line but regressed to a .189 average during July.
In 10 games so far in August, Henderson is hitting just .167. He had not recorded a home run or an RBI this month before Tuesday's victory.
Henderson's career-worst year and inability to find a prolonged groove have contributed to Baltimore's disappointing 58-62 record in 2026.
His struggles have only been magnified after the Orioles went all-in this offseason, adding Pete Alonso and trading for Taylor Ward and Shane Baz.
Baltimore's underwhelming season led them to sell at the trade deadline and move key lineup pieces. Those deals involved Ward going to the Seattle Mariners and former No. 1 overall pick Adley Rutschman going to the Boston Red Sox.
But even with those players gone, the Orioles still have a shot at the postseason. Entering Wednesday, Baltimore is two games behind the Texas Rangers (60-60) for the final American League wild-card spot.
If the Orioles want any chance at a postseason berth in 2026, they will need Henderson to play as he did in 2024, when he looked like a budding superstar for years to come.
That year, Henderson slashed .281/.364/.529 with 37 home runs and 92 RBI.
Tuesday night was a step in the right direction for Henderson. Now, he needs to string together those impactful performances and find consistency.
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