Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg has been slowed by an oblique injury in camp and was already expected to miss the first few games of exhibition play as a result. However, it appears there’s greater concern than just a mild oblique strain. Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner reports that Westburg was sent for imaging on his elbow. The results have not yet been disclosed. O’s podcaster Brooks Rothschild suggested yesterday that Westburg could miss significant time due to an elbow issue.
Asked today whether Westburg was dealing with an elbow issue in addition to that oblique injury, manager Craig Albernaz told reporters (via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko): “Right now, he’s physically unable to participate. So he’s getting evaluated by a medical team and also outside people to make sure we have a plan in place and see what’s going on with Jordan and get him going.”
Baltimore’s infield is already banged up. Second baseman Jackson Holliday suffered a hamate fracture recently and is expected to open the season on the injured list. Westburg has typically been Baltimore’s third baseman but has plenty of experience at second base and could have filled in for Holliday while Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander or Jeremiah Jackson handled the hot corner. Now, it seems there’s a chance Westburg will instead join Holliday on the injured list.
Since his 2023 MLB debut, the now-27-year-old Westburg has been a consistently productive, well-rounded player when healthy. The “when healthy” caveat has proven critical, however. Westburg has never topped 107 games or 447 plate appearances in the majors. Since his initial call to the big leagues, he’s seen IL time for a broken hand, a pair of hamstring strains and an ankle sprain. Westburg carries a .264/.312/.456 batting line in 1027 major league plate appearances, but he’s played in only 341 games (majors and minors combined) across the past three seasons.
Baltimore has been giving former top prospect Coby Mayo plenty of reps at third base during spring training and will presumably continue to do so. Mayo has said that the focus of his early spring work is his defense at the hot corner. He was drafted as a third baseman, but scouts have long questioned whether he can handle the position, and the O’s have given him the majority of his major league work at first base. However, between the Pete Alonso signing and injuries elsewhere in the infield, it’s only logical to get Mayo some more work at third base to see if he can help out there on at least a semi-regular basis.
Mayo’s name was bandied about the rumor mill throughout the winter. Even as recently as this weekend, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggested that Baltimore has continued to discuss the 24-year-old in potential trade scenarios. If there’s now concern surrounding Westburg’s availability, one would imagine that will lessen any such talks (unless, speculatively speaking, Mayo is shipped out for a more established veteran infielder).
If Westburg is sidelined for any significant period of time, there are possibilities outside the organization. Old friends Ramón Urías, Jose Iglesias and Emmanuel Rivera remain unsigned, as do veteran utilitymen Jon Berti and Luis Urías (Ramón’s younger brother). None of those players could be reasonably expected to match the offense of a healthy Westburg, but any of the three would deepen the infield mix and — specifically for Urias and Berti — provide a fair bit of defensive versatility. Myriad trade possibilities abound, even beyond the obvious names still on the market. The aforementioned Alexander certainly wasn’t a frequently discussed trade candidate when the O’s sent Kade Strowd and a pair of prospects to Arizona to pry him loose.
That swap looked a bit surprising at the time but will now pay considerable dividends. Alexander can handle either second base or third base. He hit .230/.323/.383 in 74 games last year but closed out the season on a more impressive .239/.338/.415 stretch following the D-backs’ trade of Eugenio Suárez, at which point Alexander took over as the primary third baseman.
Hope the injury is not that bad, and he can come back soon. Not happy to hear this.
Not looking or sounding good at the moment. 🤞
The injury bug is here.
Oh man, that’s not good to hear. Good thing they got Blaze, but man 2 injuries to your starting infield?
Yummy Coby Mayo
Hold the Mayo on that trade for a middle infielder!
Yeah they don’t want to spread him too thin, positionally.
They wanted Mayo but had to settle for Miracle Whip.
Westburg could have been the best player on the team. But he can’t avoid injuries
The Royce Lewis of the O’s
Positional log jams have a tendency to work themselves out. Really glad mayo wasnt traded. He might be a butcher at 3rd, but there is still alot of offensive potential there.
Whelp the pirates missed this opportunity now
Ramón Urias reunion makes too much sense right now.
Yes he does.
Rather see Urias back than having traded Strowd
Strowd isn’t all that. After these 2 injuries were pretty fortunate to have gotten Blaze.
You know Elias is just itching to bring him back.
No shot,Westburg would be the best. Henderson has 21.4 war in 3 full seasons (1 war in 2022 in 34 games). Gunnar is Baltimores super star, not Westburg. Good talent/player, not elite.
Yeah. Absolutely no shot Westy is on Gunnar’s level.
Not a huge deal if it’s a month or two. Blaze is a fine player and he won’t cost them many wins if any as a replacement. Jeremiah Jackson can play, too. Certainly doesn’t mean they have to play Mayo at 3rd and he’s still very much available in a trade I bet. Especially if another vet utility guy is part of the return.
Whether you like it or not, seems pretty clear Coby Mayo is gonna be at 3B, Blaze at 2B and Jeremiah as the ÚTIL to start the year. Mountcastle can exist on the roster too as a DH option, until Holiday or Westburg comes back, then Mayo or Jackson gets optioned, unless Mounty gets traded. The O’s have choices. No need to panic.
Having Mountcastle expected to be a viable, productive piece is not the option of a contender.
Mountcastle really isn’t expected to be that though. He’s a depth option and part time platoon DH at best.
Then why tender a contract? Why not let him become a free agent and find a bigger role, or come back for less?
He was Alonso & O’Neill insurance for 1B/DH. I didn’t expect it because he’s not versatile at all. I would’ve let him walk as well but he wasn’t signed with the intention of being an everyday regular.
I think he’ll be productive this year but he’s a clunky fit with Alonso, Mayo, and Basallo. These injuries at least move Mayo to 3B mostly.
Baltimore_44 – That’s some expensive insurance! Could have someone like Rivera fill in at 1B for much cheaper, given the limited playing time when Alonso may DH or sit or Basallo not trying 1B.
Westburg (if he recovers) may also add into the crowded DH pot at least early on, Obviously his bat would also be in line in front of Mountcastle.
This is definitely Mayo’s window to show something. If he’s Mark Reynolds over at 3B and/or he doesn’t show a lot of what he showed in Sept with the bat he might be done here. (Well, he should be, yet Mountcastle is still here).
It’s almost like losing two of your rock solid starting position players makes your team worse.
Westburg has had so much promise, both as an individual player but also as a key piece of a potentially elite team. His injury history now makes me totally pessimistic about his long-term future with the club.
Westburg is made out of glass. He has entered the David Segui category.
Poor kid, the guy can’t catch a break. Speedy recovery.
Bring back Rivera.He has a surprisingly good glove, range, and release for a chunky guy, and knows how to dump soft liners into the shallow OF when he gets his bat going.
Good thing it’s only February. Westy is key to this team with his right handed bat, mix of power and avg. and obviously infield versatility. Guys a stud. This team is so much better with him on it and on the field. Dude grinds
Mayo at 3B, Alexander at 2B, and bring back Urias for the bench. That would be the brst solution til Holliday and Westburg are healthy
Anybody say Isaac Paredes?
I’m excited to see Orioles fans try to offer Kjerstad one for one and Astros fans get up in arms.
I don’t see any LH OF that are MLB-ready that the Orioles would be willing to offer for Paredes.
I hate the annual parade of Spring Training injury announcements.
I get it that it happens but it’s the most depressing time of the year. The day after the season ends is bad but it doesn’t hold the Hope and Despair juxtaposed quite in the same way that the Spring IL reports do.
I had been hoping for the last few years that the O’s would trade Mayo & or Westberg to acquire controllable top of the rotation pitching. Those two used to have the trade value to get that done. Sadly that ship has sailed.
Mayo has tremendous trade value. I can’t understand basing opinions on what BTV claims values are this week. GMs know he mashes. And you can hide him somewhere, even at 3B, because his bat warrants it.
I believe many view Mayo as limited to DH and he’s yet to hit ml pitching. SSS acknowledged. Where can his glove be played? He errors were off the charts at 3rd.
He has played the equivalent of only 10 games at 3B in MLB to date. SSS re. “errors off the charts” too. He was good enough in MiLb that they kept him there: good hands, cannon for an arm, below average footwork. When he catches up to the speed if MLB, he’ll rein in the throwing errors some. 3B is where teams hide big boppers like him.
Seems like the O’s and Braves are snake bit.
All those Catholics in Baltimore are regretting giving up Alcohol right now.
I think that they actually gave up their season tickets for Lent this year with all the shenanigans that the ticket office is doing
Hopefully it’s minor and treatable but odds never seem good these days when “elbow imaging” is in the snippet.
I think he is primed to break out this season if healthy. Sucks it’s spring training with Alonso coming aboard but they have the depth to overcome this if need be.
I really thought he had a JJ Hardy career trajectory but losing hope as he cant get through a full season.
Elias will probably trade Westy for one year of a reliever ..
Yeah, cause he does stuff like that? Where do these things come from?
People that don’t follow the Orioles every day don’t understand how important Jordan is. I thought, for the last few years is the heartbeat of this team and a lineup and they are completely different team when he has gone on the field and off the field. It was really Only. This was the year that he would show what he could do if he got 500 at bats. Obviously that’s not gonna happen now the question is does he miss the entire season, is this some nagging injury that slows them all year or hopefully it’s something they could manage with only missing a couple of months. Either way for all the positive movement. They did this winter this huge for the O’s. Fortunately, they have more depth than years past, which you just don’t replace a guy like this in the heart of your lineup.