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The biggest star of the Orioles is expected to participate for the first time this season when Baltimore opens a three-game series against the host Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson is slated to be in the lineup after recovering from a right intercostal strain that sidelined him for the first seven games of the big-league campaign.

Henderson was injured during a spring training game on Feb. 27. The 23-year-old Henderson was fourth in American League MVP voting last season when he racked up career bests of 37 homers and 92 RBIs.

Henderson completed a five-game rehab stint at Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. He batted .263 (5-for-19) with two homers and four RBIs and played four games at shortstop and one as the designated hitter. He did commit three errors.

“I think everybody’s looking forward to having Gunnar back on the team,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday. “The rehab went really, really well. I talked to him a couple days ago, he feels great swinging the bat. The timing came, especially the last few days. He just had to get out there and get some reps defensively and get some games in, and it all went well.”

Henderson rejoins a team that has lost back-to-back games and four of seven this season.

Baltimore lost 8-4 to the visiting Boston Red Sox on Thursday afternoon to finish off a three-game set.

Cedric Mullins continued his strong start with a solo homer. He is batting .308 with three long balls and 11 RBIs in seven games.

Jordan Westburg also has three homers but only four RBIs after contributing a run-scoring single on Thursday. He is batting .375.

This is the first meeting between the teams since the Royals eliminated the Orioles in two games in the best-of-three American League wild-card series last October.

Kansas City is searching for offense after recording just two runs and eight hits in 20 innings over consecutive losses to the Milwaukee Brewers. The quiet bats came after Kansas City scored a season-best 11 runs in Monday’s victory over the Brewers.

The Royals have scored two or fewer runs in three of the past four games and they combined for 14 strikeouts as a team in Wednesday’s 3-2, 11-inning loss to the Brewers.

“Honestly, I feel like it’s too early to put a label on it,” Kansas City second baseman Michael Massey said of the hitting woes. “… You’re still at the point of the season where you got guys hitting .180 and they go 3-for-4 and they’re hitting .340. I feel like we’re giving good at-bats, but we’re running into tough arms, too.”

Right-hander Seth Lugo (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his second start of the season for the Royals.

Lugo, 35, received a no-decision last Saturday when he gave up three runs and four hits in five innings against the Cleveland Guardians.

Lugo lost to the Orioles in April of 2024, giving up four runs and nine hits over 5 1/3 innings. Lugo is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in three regular-season appearances (one start) against Baltimore. He received a no-decision in Game 2 of the wild-card series, allowing one run and five hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Mullins is 3-for-5 with a homer in the regular season against Lugo.

Right-hander Dean Kremer (1-0, 8.44) will take the mound for the Orioles.

Kremer defeated the Blue Jays last Saturday despite giving up five runs and five hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Kremer is 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA over three career starts against Kansas City. He went 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two 2024 outings against the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. is 3-for-8 with a homer against him.

–Field Level Media