Gunnar Henderson hasn’t lived up to expectations this year. (Maryland GovPics)
This week, the New York Yankees tied a record by smashing 14 dingers over a two-game stretch; Los Angeles Dodger two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s first career start in Coors Field did not go well; and after sitting out three games thanks to an ugly August slump, All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker returned to the Chicago Cubs’ lineup. Other Fantasy baseball stories we’re tracking include…
Gunnar Henderson’s Rough Year
Two years ago, the Baltimore Orioles looked like they were set up for a run of dominance. They won 101 games and had a squad loaded with young talent being fed by a deep pipeline of prospects. Well, things haven’t exactly worked out like everyone expected.
Last year, the O’s dipped to 91 wins, but still made the playoffs (even if they remain without a single postseason victory since 2014). In 2025, the wheels have really come off as B-More is currently dead last in the AL East with a mere 59 wins through 127 games.
Sure, the Birds are playing better lately, but dug themselves too big a hole with a horrific 16-34 start, exacerbated by star shortstop Gunnar Henderson’s right intercostal strain in Spring Training that caused him to miss the first seven games and clearly affected his play into May.
Since then, he’s been playing much better, although a 1-for-5 showing with a mere single on Thursday night wasn’t up to his usual standards. Still, there are plenty of reasons Baltimore is 43-33 since late-May, and Henderson’s resurgence is right at the top of the list.
He’s been somewhat quiet in the last couple of games (2-for-9 with two singles and two Ks against one walk), and has regressed a bit since a huge June (he’s only hitting .250 in August), but has still recorded an OPS over 800 in each of the last four months.
After being a legitimate MVP candidate in 2024, this season has been a rough one for Henderson owners because of his early-season health woes that really cut into his counting cats. For him to have just 15 jacks after topping 35 last year is a bitter pill to swallow for Fantasy purposes, but we need to put things in perspective.
We’re talking about a kid that is still just 24, and just graduated from our Top 100 Prospects rankings last spring. Henderson remains a bright spot for the Orioles, who have also gotten a nice shot in the arm from recently recalled prospects Dylan Beavers and Sam Basallo (the latter of which the O’s just penned to a massive extension, making many wonder when Henderson and others will get similar new deals).
Gifted with a plus arm, Henderson seemed ticketed to the hot corner after spending half the season there in 2023, but has been back to playing shortstop full-time since, and that really helps his long-term value as one of the best dynasty league options in the game.
Zack Wheeler Likely Done for the Year
Staying in the East, but shifting to the NL, the Philadelphia Phillies continue to play well and have now opened up a seven-game lead on the second place Mets. However, Philly’s odds of doing better in the playoffs this season took a major hit because of a blot clot in ace Zack Wheeler’s shoulder.
When we last checked in on him, he wasn’t punching batters out as often as we were accustomed to, but that turned out to simply be a blip, and before dealing with his current health woe, he was racking up Ks like never before, with a career best rate of almost 11 and three quarters per nine.
However, since Wheeler dominated the Reds with a one-hitter while fanning 12 without a free pass on July 6, his results haven’t been nearly as sharp. In a half a dozen starts since, he’s given up at least a hit per frame and three or more earned runs in half of his outings. Over that stretch, Wheeler’s ERA rose from 2.17 to 2.71 and he had given up nine homers since July began after allowing only one the entire month of June.
Something was a bit off, but no one could have seen this type of health concern coming, even if some shoulder soreness caused his August 6 start to be shifted back by a couple of days.
Since then, Wheeler has undergone successful surgery to address the issue, but his recovery timeline is unclear. The assumption is he’s done for the season.
It’s a major blow to the Phillies considering Wheeler had already racked up his seventh straight double-digit win season (not counting Covid-shortened campaigns) and has his lowest WHIP ever.
The sixth overall pick in 2009 was an excellent minor league pitcher but has become even more remarkable as a big leaguer, so let’s hope he’ll be fully healthy for 2026, especially considering he only plans to play until the end of the 2027 season.
The good news for the Phillies is that Aaron Nola (ankle) finally came off the IL earlier this week. His return outing didn’t go very well (read: he was bitch-slapped), but he should be able to mitigate the loss of Wheeler to some extent; there’s a chance Wheeler’s injury could also lead to the long-awaited promotion of top prospect Andrew Painter.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Miguel Andujar, OF, Cincinnati Reds (ESPN: 18.7 per cent; CBS: 45 per cent): Andujar revitalized his career with a massive 2023 season at Triple-A for the Pirates before earning consideration as a Wire Troll All-Star last year. This season, he dealt with injuries, but hit well for the A’s before getting dealt to Cincy at the deadline – an under the radar trade that has worked out brilliantly. Since joining the Reds, Andujar’s already low K rate has been even better, leading to some mind-blowing results. The injury will have him fall short of his counting cat projections, but he makes for a fantastic wire add right now given that he’s playing out of his mind.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
English-Irish electronic music duo Moloko started in 1994 and stuck around for a decade. In 2000, they released their third album, Things to Make and Do, which included the track “Pure Pleasure Seeker.”