Friday morning, the Baltimore Orioles confirmed that third baseman Jordan Westburg has a partial tear of his UCL. President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias said Westburg will miss time through at least the month of April.
Westburg had already missed the start of spring training after he suffered an oblique injury during the offseason, and this marks another setback at the beginning of his 2026 campaign. However, Wesbturg will avoid surgery and opt for a platelet (PRP) injection to treat his elbow. The injection is a common choice amongst athletes for ligament tears as it improves the natural healing processes of the body. It does this without the risks of major downtime that an invasive procedure would incur.
Lineup Looking Forward
With Westburg’s Opening Day status confirmed, the team will need to make a decision over the course of spring training as to who will start at third base against the Minnesota Twins on March 26. With the lineup set for the first spring game against the New York Yankees, the Orioles have tabbed Coby Mayo to start at third, which is a possible sign of future plans.
Mayo finished last season batting .301 in September with a .941 OPS and 5 home runs. This was a torrid pace for the now 24-year-old infielder. With the offseason addition of Pete Alonso taking over the role on the opposite corner, Mayo could be looking at increased usage to start the season. The Orioles look to fight their way back into the playoffs after being absent from October baseball in 2025.
Looking Ahead
The Orioles face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday, February 21, at 1:05 PM at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The game will be the Orioles’ second of the spring and the Pirates’ first. The Orioles have announced Dean Kremer as their starting pitcher. The Pirates have not yet named a starter.
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