Henderson and Westburg bumps bring needed boosts

Promotions earned yesterday also felt like a bone tossed.

The huge disappointment over top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez perhaps missing the rest of the 2022 season with a Grade 2 strain of his right lat muscle was followed a day later by the rush that comes from infield prospects Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg advancing to Triple-A Norfolk.

Out with the bad report, in with the good.

Westburg began the season viewed as closer to the majors than Henderson based on his age and Double-A experience. He’s 23 and appeared in 30 games with the Bowie Baysox last summer in his final three-affiliate stop.

Henderson, still 20, appeared in five games with the Baysox last season and went 3-for-15 with 10 strikeouts.

The past belongs there.

Henderson, who celebrates his birthday later this month, batted .312/.452/.573 with 11 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 35 RBIs, 41 runs scored and 12 steals in 14 attempts to get his bump to the Tides. He drew 41 walks against 38 strikeouts.

Baseball America’s latest top 100 rankings include Henderson at 37. A bit of a project when drafted, he’s now third in the organization’s top 30 per MLBPipeline.com.

A scout from outside the organization who is familiar with the Orioles’ minor league system recently talked about Westburg and shortstop Joey Ortiz, then uttered Henderson’s name and just shook his head. As if words wouldn’t suffice. Henderson is going to be that good.

"A true baseball player," he said later, comparing Henderson to six-time All-Star Chase Utley.

"He is a manager's dream. His work habits before games carry over to the game. He's improved his defense this year. One of the top players I've seen this year in the minors."

(The same scout offered JJ Hardy as a comp to Westburg, which ain’t bad, either.)

Now consider how Henderson is vastly younger than the competition in the Eastern League, and his numbers are even more impressive. And imagine the gap at Triple-A.

News of Henderson’s promotion came around the same time that he was chosen the Eastern League’s Player of the Week for going 10-for-21 (.476) with three doubles, a triple, a home run and seven RBIs. The award travels.

MLBPipeline.com has Westburg ranked sixth in the farm system. He batted .247/.344/.473 with 14 doubles, nine home runs, 32 RBIs and 32 runs scored, but the Orioles waited until he heated up after a sluggish start.

Westburg posted a .322 average and .967 OPS in his last 22 games. It was just a matter of time.

Bowie manager Kyle Moore is losing a couple of talented infielders, but he still has Ortiz – whose defense is advanced – César Prieto and Adam Hall. The lineup card got a little easier to fill out.

Moore has been rotating the shortstop prospects among other positions. Norfolk manager Buck Britton must do the same.

The Tides are in Nashville tonight, with Zac Lowther starting. The roster lists four catchers and 10 infielders, though Brett Cumberland, Terrin Vavra and Kelvin Gutiérrez are on the injured list. Vavra is on a rehab assignment with High-A Aberdeen.

Britton currently has a choice of infielders that also includes Richie Martin, Rylan Bannon, Patrick Dorrian, Cadyn Grenier and Shed Long Jr., the latter working his way back from two leg surgeries over the past two seasons.

Seven of the Orioles’ top 10 prospects from Pipeline’s list are in Triple-A or the majors, including Rodriguez, who’s going to head down to Sarasota, Fla. to rehab his injury. Outfielder Colton Cowser (No. 4) and third baseman Coby Mayo (No. 7) are playing for Aberdeen, and outfielder Heston Kjerstad (No. 9) is getting at-bats in extended spring training and very close to joining Single-A Delmarva.

* The Cubs make their first visit tonight to Camden Yards since sweeping a three-game series in July 2017 by scores of 9-8, 10-3 and 8-0. Losing pitchers were Brad Brach, Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez. Two of the winners were former Orioles Koji Uehara and Jake Arrieta.

Brandon Hyde was first base coach, promoted to bench coach a year later.

The media will tap into his memory bank later today.

This year’s version of the Cubs are 23-32 and in fourth place in the National League Central. They’re 11-20 at home and 12-12 on the road.