THIRD BASEMAN JORDAN WESTBROOK. WHAT IS IT? YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT’S HARD TO EVEN TALK ABOUT ANY SORT OF BAD NEWS WHEN IT’S KIND OF PARADISE HERE. ABOUT 80 DEGREES TODAY. IT’S BEEN LIKE THIS ALL WEEK LONG. IT HAS BEEN VERY FORTUNATE WEEK TO BE HERE AND APPARENTLY NOT TO BE THERE. BUT ANYWAY, AS FAR AS WHAT’S GOING ON WITH JORDAN WESTBROOK, YOU KNOW, THIS MORNING CRAIG ALBERNAZ GAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A KIND OF A SURPRISING UPDATE IN THAT HE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO WHAT WE HEARD FROM HIM A WEEK AGO, SAID HE WAS GOING TO MISS THE FIRST COUPLE OF SPRING TRAINING GAMES BECAUSE HE’S DEALING WITH AN OBLIQUE, BUT NO BIG DEAL. BUT THEN TODAY THEY SAID THEY’RE GOING TO DO THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE HE’S ABLE TO PLAY AGAIN. PLAY THIS SEASON. WOW. THAT WAS A THAT WAS A HEAD TURNER FOR SURE. BUT THAT’S WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. AS FAR AS HIS NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR AT SHORTSTOP GUNNAR HENDERSON, THOUGH, ALL VIBES AND NOTHING BUT GOOD TIMES FOR THE ORIOLES BEST PLAYER. GUNNAR HENDERSON LOOKS LIKE A NEW MAN. THE GRIND OF 2025 BEHIND HIM, A SEASON THAT SAW HIM HIT 20 FEWER HOME RUNS THAN 2024. HE PLAYED THROUGH HIS SHOULDER INJURY AND EVEN THOUGH HE STILL DELIVERED A QUALITY CAMPAIGN, NOTHING ABOUT 2025 WAS FUN. IT’S BEEN PRETTY EASY FOR ME TO GET RID OF IT BECAUSE I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE IT WAS THAT, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY STRUNG TOGETHER A DECENT YEAR, BUT FOR ME, THAT’S NOT HELD TO MY STANDARDS. SO FOR ME PERSONALLY, THAT’S WHAT I WENT INTO THE OFFSEASON WORKING ON, IS TO GET BACK TO DOING WHAT I DO BEST, AND THAT’S DRIVING THE BALL TO THE GAPS AND PLAYING REALLY GOOD ON DEFENSE. SO IT HELPS NOW TO HAVE ANOTHER SUPERSTAR, A VETERAN LEADER LIKE PETE ALONSO AT HIS SIDE. PETE BRINGS INCREDIBLE ENERGY AND HE’LL SHARE THAT LEADERSHIP BURDEN. PETE’S BEEN GREAT. HE’S BEEN ABLE TO. I’VE BEEN ASKING HIM QUESTIONS AND OBVIOUSLY ABOUT THAT HOMER AGAINST HIT AGAINST MILWAUKEE. IT’S BEEN REALLY COOL. JUST KIND OF PICK HIS BRAIN OF WHAT HE WAS KIND OF THINKING IN THE MOMENT AND JUST HOW TO STAY WITHIN HIMSELF IN THAT SITUATION WITH GAGNE, ADLI AND A BUNCH OF THE OTHER GUYS. IT’S BEEN REALLY NICE GETTING TO GETTING TO KIND OF GET A NICE SNAPSHOT OF WHAT THE CULTURE IS LIKE GETTING INTO BEFORE KIND OF DEEP DIVING, AND I THINK DEEP DIVING ON THE PERSONALITIES AND THE CULTURE HERE. IT’S JUST SOMETHING REALLY EXCITING TO BE A PART OF. SPEAKING OF ENERGY, GUNNAR’S NEW MANAGER LIKEWISE KEEPS IT HUMMING ON THE BACK FIELDS OF SARASOTA. EVEN IF CRAIG ALBERNAZ NEEDS A TRANSLATOR, I’M JUST MYSELF. I GIVE HIM A HARD TIME ABOUT HIS ABOUT HIS ACCENT. BUT NO, HE’S HE’S BEEN GREAT. HE’S BRINGING A LOT OF ENERGY. SUPER LIKE COMMUNICATION IS VERY, VERY GREAT. SO IT’S BEEN REALLY FUN BEING ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND JUST SEE HIM IN HIS ELEMENT AND WORK WITH HIM. WE’VE TALKED ALL WEEK ABOUT HOW THE DRILLS ARE FAST AND INTENTIONAL, BUT ABOVE ALL, THEY’RE BRINGING FUN BACK TO BIRDLAND, WHICH OCCASIONALLY MEANS YOU NEED A BIRD BATH. GOOD TIMES ON THE SLIP AND SLIDE THERE. NOW, AS FAR AS TOMORROW IN THE SPRING OPENER AGAINST THE YANKEES, TREVOR ROGERS WILL GET THE START FOR THE ORIOLES LIVE HERE IN SARASOTA, PETE GILBERT WBAL TV 11 SPORTS. HEY, PETE, DID YOU WANT US TO NOTICE THE WATER BEHIND YOU AND THE WATERCRAFT? OH, YOU CAN SEE THAT. YEAH, I WASN’T SURE. JUST JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT.
Orioles star Gunnar Henderson discusses moving on from 2025, Pete Alonso’s leadership
New skipper Craig Albernaz also provided an update on Jordan Westburg
Updated: 5:13 PM EST Feb 19, 2026
Thursday marked the final day of full-team workouts for the Orioles before they begin the exhibition series on Friday against the Yankees.Camp was, for the most part, full of good vibes. The injury bug, however, remained lurking in the corner, growing bigger as camp progressed.After Jackson Holliday’s injury earlier in camp, it appears Jordan Westburg will likely miss some time, too.New skipper Craig Albernaz offered no specifics on Westburg. However, he originally thought the infielder would miss just the first few games of the spring season due to an oblique strain. On Thursday, he said the team is doing due diligence to make sure he’s in the best position to play this year.Next door at shortstop, though, there’s nothing but good vibes for Gunnar Henderson.Henderson looks like a new man since putting the grind of the 2025 season behind him — a season in which he hit 20 fewer home runs than the prior season. He played through a shoulder injury, and even though he still delivered a quality campaign, nothing about 2025 was fun.”It has been pretty easy for me to get rid of it, because… obviously strung together a decent year, but for me, that’s not up to my standards. For me personally, that’s what I went to the offseason working on, is to get back to what I do best. And that’s driving the ball to the gaps and playing really good on defense,” Henderson said.It also helps to have another superstar and veteran leader like Pete Alonso at his side. Alonso brings energy to the team and will help share the leadership burden.”Pete has been great. I’ve been asking him questions, and obviously about that homer against Milwaukee. He has been really cool to just kind of pick his brain about what he was kind of thinking in the moment and just how to stay within himself in that situation,” Henderson said.In addition to Alonso’s energy, Albernaz also keeps it humming on the backfields of Sarasota, even if he needs a translator.”I give them a hard time about his accent, but now he has been great. He’s bringing a lot of energy. Super. Communication is very, very great. So, it has been really fun being able to go out there and just see him in his element and work with him.”
SARASOTA, Fla. —
Thursday marked the final day of full-team workouts for the Orioles before they begin the exhibition series on Friday against the Yankees.
Camp was, for the most part, full of good vibes. The injury bug, however, remained lurking in the corner, growing bigger as camp progressed.
After Jackson Holliday’s injury earlier in camp, it appears Jordan Westburg will likely miss some time, too.
New skipper Craig Albernaz offered no specifics on Westburg. However, he originally thought the infielder would miss just the first few games of the spring season due to an oblique strain. On Thursday, he said the team is doing due diligence to make sure he’s in the best position to play this year.
Next door at shortstop, though, there’s nothing but good vibes for Gunnar Henderson.
Henderson looks like a new man since putting the grind of the 2025 season behind him — a season in which he hit 20 fewer home runs than the prior season. He played through a shoulder injury, and even though he still delivered a quality campaign, nothing about 2025 was fun.
“It has been pretty easy for me to get rid of it, because… obviously strung together a decent year, but for me, that’s not up to my standards. For me personally, that’s what I went to the offseason working on, is to get back to what I do best. And that’s driving the ball to the gaps and playing really good on defense,” Henderson said.
It also helps to have another superstar and veteran leader like Pete Alonso at his side. Alonso brings energy to the team and will help share the leadership burden.
“Pete has been great. I’ve been asking him questions, and obviously about that homer against Milwaukee. He has been really cool to just kind of pick his brain about what he was kind of thinking in the moment and just how to stay within himself in that situation,” Henderson said.
In addition to Alonso’s energy, Albernaz also keeps it humming on the backfields of Sarasota, even if he needs a translator.
“I give them a hard time about his accent, but now he has been great. He’s bringing a lot of energy. Super. Communication is very, very great. So, it has been really fun being able to go out there and just see him in his element and work with him.”