Baltimore Orioles star third baseman Jordan Westburg has been “physically unable to participate” in the early stages of Orioles camp with both an oblique and elbow issue. Coming into camp, the Orioles were aware of an oblique injury that was holding Westburg out of baseball activities to start the camp. The belief was that the injury was not too serious. However, early Thursday it came out that Westburg was getting imaging done on his elbow as well making his timetable for return less clear.
A History With Injury
Westburg has been a mainstay in the Orioles lineup since making his debut in 2023. The 27- year-old All-Star owns a 5.3 career WAR and 116 OPS+ across three seasons with impressive defensive versatility, having played over a hundred games at third and second base during his time at the major league level. He has also played multiple games at shortstop. However, injuries have lingered over the young stars career missing significant time in 2024 when he broke his hand forcing him to miss nearly 60 games down the stretch in August and September. In addition, Westburg only played in 85 games in 2025 as he dealt with a hamstring strain that forced him to miss time from April to June and an ankle sprain that saw him miss 26 games between August and September.
New Orioles manager Craig Albernaz stated that “He’s getting evaluated by our medical team and also outside people to make sure we have a plan in place to see what’s going on with Jordan.”
What To Make Of The Lineup?
With the return timetable for Westburg uncertain and starting second baseman Jackson Holliday also to miss time with a hamate bone fracture, there are a lot of question marks surrounding what the Orioles’ infield will look like come Opening Day against the Minnesota Twins. With the acquisition of Blaze Alexander from the Arizona Diamondbacks, he will likely get reps at both positions. In addition, Jeremiah Jackson has also spent time at the big league level at both positions despite getting a majority of his reps in right field. With the offseason acquisition of Taylor Ward, and a rather crowded outfield, it would not be surprising to see Jackson get reps all over the diamond this spring.
In addition to Alexander and Jackson, Coby Mayo will certainly be getting reps at third in Westburg’s absence. Mayo made the move from third to first last season, but with the free agent signing of Pete Alonso, Mayo will be looking for a place to get himself into the lineup. With his hot finish to the 2025 season in the rear view, he will certainly look to get the Opening Day start at third base if Westburg is to miss extended time.
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