A’s Acquire Alika Williams, Designate Michael Stefanic
The A’s announced that infielder Alika Williams was acquired in a trade with the Pirates in exchange for minor league righty Kyle Robinson. Infielder Michael Stefanic was designated for assignment to clear space for Williams on the Athletics’ 26-man and 40-man rosters, as the team officially selected Williams’ contract to the active roster.
Selected 37th overall by the Rays in the 2020 draft, Williams came to Pittsburgh in the June 2023 trade that brought Robert Stephenson to Tampa. Williams made his MLB debut in a Pirates uniform later that year, and went onto hit .202/.257/.271 over 208 plate appearances for the Buccos over the 2023-24 seasons. Pittsburgh designated Williams for assignment during the 2024-25 offseason and then outrighted him to Triple-A, where Williams hit an uninspiring .268/.329/.393 over 391 PA for Indianapolis during the 2025 campaign.
This year, Williams has hit .317/.385/.467 over 135 Triple-A plate appearances, representing one of the best offensive stretches of his pro career. Despite this hot bat, the Pirates apparently didn’t want to select Williams’ contract back to the 26-man roster just to be a bench guy, as Konnor Griffin and Brandon Lowe are the starting middle infielders, and Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo are being used at third base.
There’s more of an opportunity for Williams in Sacramento, as both Jacob Wilson and Max Muncy are on the Athletics’ 10-day injured list. Williams could see time at shortstop when Darell Hernaiz isn’t at the position, and some second base at-bats could become available in Jeff McNeil‘s place when a left-hander is on the mound.
Stefanic signed a minor league deal with the A’s last winter, and his contract was selected in the wake of Wilson’s IL placement earlier this week. After all of two games in an Athletics uniform, Stefanic’s tenure with the club may already be over, if he is claimed away on waivers or if he elects free agency over an outright assignment if he clears waivers. Because Stefanic has been outrighted in the past, he now has the ability to reject any future outrights in favor of free agency, though he could opt to stay with the A’s if he feels he’ll get more big league opportunities down the road.
Though Stefanic has hit only .231/.315/.269 over 294 career PA with the Angels, Blue Jays, and Athletics, he had some posted some big numbers at Triple-A in the past. Like Williams, Stefanic also has a wealth of experience at shortstop, second base, and third base, plus Stefanic has a handful of games as a first baseman and at both corner outfield positions.
Robinson is a 22-year-old righty who was an 11th-round pick for the A’s in the 2024 draft. The Texas Tech product pitched at both the high-A and Double-A levels last season, but returned to high-A Lansing this year to post a 3.62 ERA, 16.7% strikeout rate, and 11.4% walk rate across 27 1/3 innings. Robinson has started 27 of his 34 games as a professional, but he’ll need both miss more bats or improve his control to remain as any kind of a viable starter candidate.
Jose Berrios To Undergo Elbow Surgery
Jose Berrios will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair a stress fracture in his right elbow, as Blue Jays manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae and other reporters. Dr. Keith Meister will perform the procedure, and it is possible the surgery could be more complicated since “there is some concern about [Berrios’] ligament,” Mae writes. A recovery timeline (or whether or not Berrios will pitch at all in 2026) therefore won’t be known until the surgery is complete, and a further assessment is made for any ligament damage.
Surgery is perhaps the natural endpoint to what has been an injury-marred nine months for a pitcher once known for his durability. Right elbow inflammation sent Berrios to the 15-day injured list at the end of the 2025 season and kept him from participating in the Blue Jays’ postseason run. As he prepared to pitch for Puerto Rico in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, tests revealed more inflammation and then a stress fracture in Berrios’ right elbow.
Toronto placed Berrios on the 15-day IL to begin the season, and he appeared to be on track before more elbow discomfort arose during his minor league rehab assignment. Berrios had an MRI and a previous visit with Dr. Meister last week, and Schneider told reporters yesterday that surgery was now a possibility, as Berrios could be dealing with loose bodies in his elbow area.
It is possible that Berrios’ 2026 season could be over even if he is “only” dealing with loose bodies and the initial stress fracture, given how the recovery timeline for such procedures can vary greatly. A best-case scenario probably has Berrios making his 2026 debut after the All-Star break, though anywhere from mid-July to mid-August is a realistic window.
If ligament damage is found, the question then becomes how much of Berrios’ 2027 season could be in jeopardy. An internal brace procedure would put the right-hander in line to return by May or June of next season. A full Tommy John surgery would require 13-15 months on the shelf, so any sort of setback within that rehab process could threaten Berrios’ ability to return before the 2027 season is out.
Turning first to contractual matters, Berrios has an opt-out clause in his contract that can be triggered this offseason, allowing him to walk away from the final two years and $48MM remaining on his seven-year, $131MM extension. It already didn’t seem likely that Berrios would exercise that opt-out, and the fact that he’ll now miss most or even all of the 2026 campaign means that he’ll remain with the Jays beyond the season.
In the shorter term, Berrios’ continued absence (even for 2-3 more months) is more bad news for a Toronto rotation that has already been drastically thinned. Shane Bieber is throwing to live batters but has yet to begin a minor league rehab assignment, and Max Scherzer has started throwing in the first steps of his recovery from forearm tendinitis.
These two veterans are probably a month away at best, but that still puts them ahead of several other Blue Jays pitchers. Cody Ponce‘s season has been ended by a torn ACL, depth starter Bowden Francis‘ season is also over due to a Tommy John surgery, and swingman Lazaro Estrada has missed about a month due to a shoulder impingement. Eric Lauer didn’t suffer a traditional injury but was hampered by a bad case of the flu, and he pitched so poorly that the Jays designated Lauer for assignment.
Kevin Gausman and Dylan Cease have been the only stable members of the rotation, and Trey Yesavage only recently returned from a shoulder impingement of his own. Patrick Corbin was signed to a one-year, $1MM contract in early April and he has a respectable 3.93 ERA while covering seven starts and 34 1/3 innings. To find a fifth starter, the Jays may have to look outside the organization for at least another Corbin-esque addition, or dig further into their depth chart to either minor league signings (i.e. Josh Fleming) or pitchers with little to no MLB experience.
Rule 5 Draft pick Spencer Miles has pitched well in a relief role, and the Jays may be leaning towards stretching Miles out as a de facto fifth starter, even if Miles might work behind an opener or be used in a piggyback capacity. Miles is pitching today behind opener Mason Fluharty.
On the bullpen front, Adam Macko is in Detroit today as a member of the Jays’ taxi squad, Schneider told Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and other media that Macko may be activated depending on the status of other relievers who aren’t 100 percent, so Macko could join the 26-man roster tomorrow as a fresh arm. Macko will be making his MLB debut whenever he appears in his first game for Toronto.
Yankees Place Max Fried On 10-Day Injured List
TODAY: Rodriguez was called up from Triple-A to take Fried’s spot on the active roster.
MAY 14: The Yankees have placed lefty Max Fried on the 15-day IL due to a bone bruise in his left elbow, the team announced. An exact timetable isn’t clear, but it’ll be more than a minimum stint. Fried will be reevaluated “in a few weeks,” and only then will the Yankees determine when he can resume throwing. His MRI will also be reviewed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in the coming days. For now, the Yankees made no mention of structural damage or anything pertaining to Fried’s ulnar collateral ligament. Fried himself tells reporters that he does not think surgery will be necessary for his current issue (link via Joel Sherman of the New York Post).
Fried exited his most recent start (Wednesday) after just three innings. The Yankees announced at the time that he was dealing with posterior soreness in his left elbow, prompting concern about a potential major injury. The bone bruise isn’t a best-case scenario but certainly isn’t worst-case either.
Losing Fried for any period of time — and this, as mentioned, seems very likely to be more than the minimum — is a major hit for the Yankees. The severity of the blow is lessened, to an extent, by the looming return of Gerrit Cole, but the Yankees’ vision of a Cole-Fried tandem leading the rotation still has not come to fruition since signing Fried to an eight-year, $218MM contract in Dec. 2024. Cole’s elbow blew out during spring training 2025, costing him the entire season. The Yankees have still yet to have both aces on the active roster at the same time. Cole likely has at least one more minor league rehab start to go before he’s ready to return.
Fried, 32, is out to yet another terrific start. He’s given the Yankees 61 2/3 innings with a 3.21 ERA, a 20.8% strikeout rate, a 7.9% walk rate and a 48.8% ground-ball rate so far. His debut campaign in the Bronx produced a 2.86 earned run average over the life of 195 1/3 frames.
It’s exactly the sort of production for which the Yankees were hoping when signing Fried to a contract that still stands as the fourth-largest ever given to a pure pitcher (fifth-largest, if we include two-way star Shohei Ohtani). Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Cole and Stephen Strasburg are the only pitchers to ever command a larger guarantee than Fried’s $218MM, whether via extension or free agency.
With Fried headed to the IL alongside Cole (at least in the short term), the Yankees’ rotation includes four locks: Cam Schlittler, Carlos Rodon, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers. They could plug long relievers Paul Blackburn or Ryan Yarbrough into the rotation for a turn or two, and prospect Elmer Rodriguez has already come up to the majors for his debut this year, so he’s another candidate to pick up some innings. Righty Luis Gil was optioned earlier this season but is on the minor league injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.
Red Sox Place Trevor Story On 10-Day Injured List
The Red Sox are placing Trevor Story on the 10-day injured list prior to tonight’s game with the Braves, MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith reports. Infielder Nick Sogard will be called up to replace Story on the active roster, as Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette first reported earlier today.
As noted by Smith and Chris Cotillo, Story has been dealing with a groin problem for a few weeks, dating back to Boston’s April 24-26 series with the Orioles. Story was given a few off-days in the interim to see if some added rest could fix the problem, but the decision has been made to give the veteran at least 10 days to fully recover.
It’s probably a wise move given Story’s long injury history, and because this IL stint might serve as an unofficial reset to what has been a rough season for the 33-year-old. Story is hitting only .206/.244/.303 over his first 176 plate appearances, translating to a brutal 47 wRC+. Between the lack of offense and subpar metrics (-1 Defensive Runs Saved, -2 Outs Above Average) regarding his work at shortstop, Story has been playing at below replacement level, with -0.4 fWAR to show for his 41 games.
Story had a .585 OPS over his first 232 PA in 2025 and then an .827 OPS in his final 422 PA, so it is certainly possible he can again rebound from another slow start. The Red Sox certainly hope Story can more to offer since he is only in the fifth guaranteed year of a six-year, $140MM free agent deal that has yet to deliver much in the way of results.
Andruw Monasterio, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, or Sogard (who is getting his first taste of MLB action this season) could all see some time at shortstop in Story’s absence. The Red Sox could also possibly move Marcelo Mayer from second base over to his original shortstop position, though Mayer has yet to play anywhere but the keystone this season.
Cardinals Designate Jared Shuster For Assignment
The Cardinals announced that left-hander Jared Shuster has been designated for assignment. The move opens up roster space for right-hander Matt Pushard, who is back from the 15-day injured list after recovering from patellar tendinitis in his right knee.
It was a little over a month ago that Shuster was first DFA’ed by the Cards, and the southpaw was outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. Shuster chose to accept that assignment rather than opt for free agency, so he’ll face that decision again if he again clears waivers this time around.
Because Shuster is out of minor league options, he’ll have to be designated for assignment whenever the Cardinals or another team wants to send him down to Triple-A or create space on a 26-man roster. Given this state of perpetual roster limbo, Shuster might prefer to somewhat reduce the tumult by just staying with St. Louis, so he’d at least have the familiarity of remaining in the same organization. That said, if Shuster feels his big league opportunities will be limited with the Cards, he could choose to test the market this time around.
It also isn’t out of the question that Shuster is claimed off waivers, given how teams are perpetually in need of left-handed pitching depth. The Athletics claimed Shuster away from the White Sox last August, when Shuster was DFA’ed for the first time in his career. Shuster has a 2.35 ERA over the small sample of 7 2/3 innings for St. Louis this season, plus an 8.38 ERA over 9 2/3 frames for Triple-A Memphis — ironically, his peripheral numbers in the Show are unimpressive while his metrics in Triple-A have been pretty solid, though both represent small sample sizes.
Selected 25th overall by Atlanta in the 2020 draft, Shuster has only a 5.12 ERA, 15% strikeout rate, and 10.1% walk rate to show for 149 1/3 MLB innings with the Braves, White Sox, and Cardinals. Shuster’s brief time in the Athletics’ organization ended without any big league action, and he signed with St. Louis on a minor league deal during the offseason.
Orioles Sign Tommy Pham To Minor League Contract
The Orioles have signed veteran outfielder Tommy Pham to a minor league deal, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez (multiple links). The contract contains an opt-out clause for Pham in early June if he hasn’t already been added to Baltimore’s active roster. Pham is represented by Republik Sports.
If Pham’s contract is selected and he appears in a game for the O’s, he would become the 24th player (and ninth position player) to suit up for 11 different MLB teams over the course of his career. Historical noteworthiness aside, Pham’s first priority is just to get his 2026 season on track, as he went hitless over 14 plate appearances and nine games for the Mets earlier this season.
Pham went almost the entire offseason without being signed, as he didn’t land his previous minors deal with the Mets until March 26. After working out at extended Spring Training and then playing in four A-ball games, New York selected Pham’s contract on April 12, but his lack of production led to a DFA in late April. Pham then chose to become a free agent after clearing waivers, rather than accepting an outright assignment to the Mets’ Triple-A club.
While reading too much into his 14 PA this season is unfair, Pham has hit only .240/.321/.382 over 2730 PA since Opening Day 2020, which translates to a 96 wRC+. His only full seasons of above-average offense in that stretch were 2021 (103 wRC+) and 2023 (109 wRC+), and his splits against left-handed pitching are nothing special.
The frequent changes of uniform could be one reason for this inconsistent performance, and Pham has had a habit of streaky play over his entire career. The 2025 season saw Pham actually stay with one team for the entire season, and he hit .245/.330/.370 over 449 PA for the Pirates.
What Pham still has in the tank at age 38 remains to be seen, but there’s no risk for the Orioles in taking a flier on a minor league signing. Making New York’s roster guaranteed a $2.25MM salary for Pham in 2026, so the O’s would owe him only the prorated portion of the roughly $1.65MM remaining for any time Pham spends on Baltimore’s 26-man roster (with the Mets on the hook for the rest).
Taylor Ward and Tyler O’Neill are the Orioles’ primary corner outfielders, and like Pham, both are right-handed hitters. This means that Pham’s paths to his usual positions are pretty much blocked, though O’Neill is struggling badly at the plate, and Pham could be a depth option for the O’s in a broader sense given their other injury woes.
Ryan Mountcastle is on the 60-day IL and Jordan Westburg is gone for the season, leaving Baltimore short two right-handed bats. In the outfield, Dylan Beavers and Heston Kjerstad (both left-handed hitters) are on the IL though Kjerstad is making progress on a minor league rehab assignment. The O’s would prefer to keep Samuel Basallo as the regular designated hitter whenever he isn’t spelling Adley Rutschman behind the plate, but since Basallo is a lefty hitter, Pham might be viewed as a possible fill-in DH if the Orioles are facing a left-handed opponent.
Tarik Skubal Begins Throwing Progression
Tarik Skubal underwent arthroscopic surgery on May 6 to remove loose bodies from his left elbow, but the two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner has already started playing catch, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told MLB.com’s Jason Beck and other reporters. This most basic stage of Skubal’s throwing progression will see the left-hander “continue to play catch daily until we ramp him up to the bullpen [sessions],” Hinch said, though all parties will remain in consultation with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery.
“I was texting back and forth with [Skubal] last night, and he feels super excited about just the general feeling [of throwing],” Hinch said. “It doesn’t feel weird. It doesn’t feel awkward. It’s not guarded. I’ve seen video of it. We’re in touch with him daily about the program, and that sort of freedom, mentally and physically, I think is a great sign. We’ve been in touch with the doctor and making sure that we’re going by the protocol, because it’s a unique set of circumstances of him throwing so soon in which the volume was not impacted.”
The recovery process is still in its early stages, so Hinch said a clearer timetable for Skubal wouldn’t be known until the southpaw starts to ramp up the intensity of his throwing sessions and gets onto a mound. Still, it is certainly promising to see Skubal already feeling well enough to throw so soon after the procedure.
In general, arthroscopic surgeries usually lead to pitchers missing between 2-3 months of action, though much depends on what types of loose bodies (bone chips, cartilage, etc.) need to be removed, as well as other x-factors like the overall state of the individual pitcher’s elbow. Skubal is no stranger to major surgeries, as he underwent a Tommy John procedure in college and a flexor tendon surgery in August 2022 that kept him out of action until July 2023.
In this case, however, Skubal underwent a Nanoscope procedure. As Beck puts it, this method “is less invasive and uses a smaller incision than a typical arthroscopic surgery, was hoped to result in a quicker resumption of activity.” It would like the Nanoscope has indeed allowed Skubal to make some early progress, though it remains to be seen if the left-hander will be able to return to Detroit’s active roster in any shorter order.
The Tigers surely won’t want to rush Skubal in any way, as any sort of setback would elongate his recovery timeline and potentially even put his entire season in jeopardy. Bigger-picture considerations are also naturally in play here, given how Skubal is a free agent this winter. It is already possible that this injury absence could impact Skubal’s attempts to land the largest pitching contract in history, but the southpaw obviously wants to return as soon as safely possible in order to both help the Tigers win in 2026 and to boost his own case for a record-setting payday.
Despite a 20-25 record and a cavalcade of injuries, Detroit is far from out of it given the parity in the American League. If the Tigers can at least tread water until Skubal and other injured players can return, it is still very possible Detroit can secure a wild card berth or even the AL Central crown. However, if the Tigers are firmly out of the playoff race by July, the equation on Skubal’s readiness might change to whether or not the ace is able to display his health for any possible suitors heading into the trade deadline.
The Opener: Schwarber, Schlittler, Tigers
Merrill Kelly went the full nine innings in the Diamondbacks’ 9-1 win over the Rockies yesterday, as the veteran righty limited Colorado to just the one earned run on four hits and zero walks. At 37 years and 213 days of age, Kelly became the fourth-oldest pitcher since 1930 (thanks to the Elias Sports Bureau and MLB.com’s Sarah Langs) to log the first complete game of his MLB career.
1. Schwarber keeps schlugging
Kyle Schwarber is the first player to reach the 20-homer plateau this season, as the slugger went yard twice in the Phillies’ 11-9 win over the Pirates on Friday. Schwarber now has nine home runs in his last eight games, and an absurd .353/.421/1.147 slash line in his last 38 trips to the plate. Though the Phillies are still under .500 at 22-23, the club’s fortunes have been revived by Schwarber’s hot streak and their managerial change, as Philadelphia is now 13-4 under interim skipper Don Mattingly.
2. Schlittler owns the Mets
Cam Schlittler leads all pitchers with 2.5 fWAR, and the Yankees right-hander continued his dominance with another quality start on Friday. After limiting the Mets to one run on two hits and two walks over 6 2/3 innings yesterday, Schlittler now has a 1.35 ERA, 30.1% strikeout rate, and 4.9% walk rate over an even 60 innings of work this season. Less than 10 months removed from his Major League debut, Schlittler has already become a cornerstone of New York’s rotation, and his importance to the rotation has become even greater with Max Fried sidelined for at least the next month.
3. Schlightly….er, slightly better health news for Tigers
The injury-ravaged Tigers are starting to get some reinforcements. Right-hander Connor Seabold rejoined the bullpen after being activated from the 15-day injured list yesterday, and Casey Mize returns from the 15-day IL today to make the start against the Blue Jays. These pitchers are returning just as Ty Madden had to leave yesterday’s game after being hit in the right forearm by a comeback, though manager A.J. Hinch said initial tests on Madden didn’t reveal any structural damage. Will Vest and Beau Brieske are continuing their rehab assignments, Justin Verlander threw 50 pitches in a live bullpen session on Friday, and (most intriguingly) Tarik Skubal has already begun a throwing progression after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on May 6.
Dodgers To Place Blake Snell On Injured List
TODAY: Snell is expected to undergo surgery, sources tell Maddie Lee. One source estimates that Snell might be able to return by late July or early August, though this projection is still very fluid.
MAY 15: The Dodgers are placing left-hander Blake Snell back on the injured list, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Lefty Charlie Barnes is being recalled in a corresponding move, according to Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. Snell, whose placement is backdated to May 12th, reportedly has “loose bodies” in his throwing elbow.
Snell was only just activated from the injured list on May 9th, so this unfortunately makes for a quick return. He had missed the first month of the season with left shoulder fatigue. Snell then made two rehab starts at Single-A and one final start at Triple-A, in which he lasted four innings. The Dodgers somewhat surprisingly activated Snell despite previously wanting him to be stretched out to five innings in his rehab stint. In the end, Snell only made one start in the Majors before landing back on the injured list, and it didn’t go particularly well, with Snell allowing five runs (four earned) in three innings on the 9th against the Braves.
According to manager Dave Roberts, Snell felt something “in the back of” his left elbow during a game of catch yesterday (link via Ardaya). That led to the discovery of the loose bodies. Ardaya adds that there is no set plan right now as to whether Snell will require surgery. Notably, Snell underwent arthroscopic surgery in July 2019 to remove loose bodies from the same elbow, and he ended up missing six weeks. While this new injury isn’t a re-aggravation of Snell’s shoulder troubles, the mention of loose bodies in his elbow is equally troubling. A precise timeline will hopefully be known in the next few days, but the expectation is that Snell will return before the end of the season, according to Alden González of MLB.com and others.
The loss of Snell is a big hit to the Dodgers’ rotation. Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list a week ago with lower back spasms. The team had been using a six-man rotation to protect the health of their starters, particularly Shohei Ohtani, who is aiming for a full season as both a pitcher and a hitter for the first time since 2023. With Glasnow and Snell both out of the picture, the rotation is a five-man group consisting of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki. Sasaki has a 5.88 ERA through 33 2/3 innings and is the clear weak spot in the rotation. He might have been demoted if Snell simply took Glasnow’s spot, but with both injured, Sasaki’s spot appears safe for now.
The Dodgers have a few options to replace Snell, but they each come with risks. River Ryan was just activated at Triple-A after missing a month with a hamstring injury. He is only “a slim possibility” to eventually join the big league rotation, according to Roberts (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Left-hander Jackson Ferris is the club’s No. 8 prospect according to MLB.com. He’s only made six starts at Triple-A with a 7.43 ERA, so he’d be over-exposed in the Majors. Among non-prospects, Barnes might be the fallback option. FanGraphs has him as the long man in the Dodgers’ bullpen for now, but Barnes has been a starter for nearly all of his career in MLB and the Korea Baseball Organization. He could take a few turns through the rotation as a temporary stopgap, which would preserve the Dodgers’ six-man rotation.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
Jordan Westburg Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
TODAY: Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias confirmed that Westburg underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday (video from Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun). The goal is to have Westburg return as a full-time infielder “in the early part of 2027,” though Elias acknowledged the timeline is pretty vague at this point.
May 15: Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg will undergo elbow surgery and miss the rest of the season, reports Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. Westburg is already on the 60-day injured list and will stay there for the rest of the campaign.
It’s a disappointing but unsurprising result. Westburg was diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament back in February. He and the O’s initially tried for a non-surgical approach, as he was given a platelet-rich plasma injection at that time. Earlier this month, some continued discomfort in his elbow led to him being shut down from throwing. Now it seems the surgical path could no longer be avoided.
Some observers may wonder why he didn’t just undergo surgery in the first place. Generally speaking, surgeries require long recovery timelines, so players and teams usually try to explore the alternatives first. The player often ends up going under the knife in the long run, but there are some cases where the alternate possibilities are effective, allowing the player to return sooner. In this case, perhaps Westburg had a path to helping the Orioles late in 2026 if all went well.
That best-case scenario won’t happen but the O’s likely haven’t lost anything by trying. UCL surgeries for pitchers often take a year or so to recover but position players can come back sooner than that. It’s possible Westburg could return for the start of 2027, which would have been the outcome if he had surgery back in February anyway.
Though the outcome isn’t shocking, it’s likely deflating for Westburg and the Orioles regardless, as injuries have become a big storyline in his career and the team’s season. For Westburg personally, he had a breakout season in 2024, though that was limited to 107 games by a hand fracture which put him on the shelf for over a month. In 2025, he made trips to the IL for a hamstring strain and an ankle sprain, only appearing in 85 games. Now he’s going to miss the entire 2026 campaign. While spending this year on the 60-day IL, Westburg will cross three years of service time and qualify for arbitration. He can be retained through 2029.
For the O’s, Westburg is one of 13 players currently on the IL. That includes five position players. In addition to Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Dylan Beavers, Ryan Mountcastle and Heston Kjerstad are on the shelf.
With no Westburg and no Holliday so far this year, Baltimore has had to go to backup plans on the infield. Gunnar Henderson has been at shortstop and Pete Alonso at first base but Westburg was the planned third baseman and Holliday supposed to be the second baseman. Coby Mayo has been the main guy at the hot corner this year but he has produced a dismal .174/.242/.321 line. Jeremiah Jackson has mostly covered second. His .238/.259/.400 line is better than Mayo’s but still subpar. Blaze Alexander has contributed at both spots but has hit just .244/.299/.289.
With all the injuries, the O’s have started slow, currently sporting a 20-24 record. Their season is still salvageable since so many other teams in the American League are also scuffling. That losing record is good enough for the club to be just a game and a half out of a playoff spot at the moment. They will try to stay in the race in the coming months but Westburg won’t be a part of the solution, so other guys will have to step up. The Orioles could look for infield help ahead of the trade deadline if the incumbent guys aren’t delivering.
Photo courtesy of John Jones, Imagn Images