Jordan Westburg’s Damage Assessments Baltimore’s Infield Depth

For the second time because the opening of spring coaching, the Baltimore Orioles misplaced one in all their beginning infielders to harm. On Friday, Baltimore introduced that third baseman Jordan Westburg would miss important time resulting from {a partially} torn UCL in his throwing elbow. Westburg acquired a platelet-rich plasma injection, generally used for delicate tissue and joint accidents, and might be out not less than till the tip of April, in line with crew president Mike Elias.

Jordan Westburg has a partial UCL tear in his proper elbow and might be getting a PRP injection in the present day, per Orioles POBO/GM Mike Elias.

Westburg might be out for all of April. Timeline TBD after that.

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) February 20, 2026

Whereas there’s by no means a super time for an harm, the Orioles had been already with out second baseman Jackson Holliday, out with a damaged hamate bone in his proper hand. That places half of their infield out of fee for Opening Day. Earlier than Holliday and Westburg went down, there had been some turnover among the many function gamers in Baltimore’s infield, including to the uncertainty of what these accidents will imply for the crew this spring and past.

Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo had been fixtures for the final a number of years, each having prolonged stints as starters because the younger Orioles infielders progressed via the minors. Mateo had a 2.8 WAR because the beginning shortstop in 2022 — earlier than yielding the job to Gunnar Henderson the next season. In the meantime, additionally in 2022, Urías received a Gold Glove at third base, and he has stuffed in at third throughout Westburg’s prior accidents. Each noticed their use decline in 2025, with Mateo struggling to hit after which having his season ruined by elbow and hamstring accidents, whereas Urías batted simply .241/.292/.384, for a career-worst 87 wRC+. Urías signed a one-year, $2 million take care of the Cardinals on Saturday, and Mateo joined the Braves on a one-year contract price $1 million final month. Terrin Vavra, who made cameo appearances for the O’s in a utility function, can also be gone, a free agent after being designated for project final season; he’s now enjoying for Czechia on this 12 months’s World Baseball Traditional.

So the Orioles have needed to flip to new additions to fill the longtime roles of Urías and Mateo. The primary is Jeremiah Jackson, a former second-rounder for the Angels who signed with the O’s as a minor league free agent earlier than final season. After placing up a mixed .313/.343/.537 line at Double-A and Triple-A, Jackson earned a glance within the majors on advantage. By the point he debuted on August 1, Baltimore’s season was all however over and Urías had been traded Houston, permitting Jackson to get an prolonged massive league audition. He comfortably exceeded expectations, hitting .276/.328/.447 whereas beginning in proper subject and third base down the stretch. Not one of the projection methods envision Jackson repeating his wRC+ of 117 with the Orioles, however all of them peg him as a extremely competent function participant with simply sufficient oomph to be an enough starter. ZiPS tasks 1.6 WAR for him given 514 plate appearances, and Steamer/600 has him at 1.5 WAR in 600 plate appearances. OOPSY feels equally, although THE BAT just isn’t fairly as bullish.

What’s unhealthy timing for Westburg and Holliday could also be good timing for Blaze Alexander, acquired by the Orioles for 3 prospects a couple of weeks in the past. Alexander put up a 99 wRC+ for the Diamondbacks in 2025 whereas getting begins at second and third base, shortstop, and in heart subject. ZiPS gave him a good stronger projection than Jackson, with 2.1 WAR over 459 projected plate appearances. Alexander’s largest drawback in Arizona was an absence of alternative, as few mortals are going to seize a full-time center infield job on a crew that employs each Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte. When push involves shove, it was unlikely that Arizona would’ve prioritized getting Alexander enjoying time over Jordan Lawlar or, within the medium time period, Tommy Troy.

Westburg’s harm additionally opens up a possibility at third base for Coby Mayo, who’s coming off a disastrous 2025 marketing campaign. Getting his first prolonged shot within the majors, Mayo hit simply .217/.299/.388. That will’ve been tremendous if he had been projected to be a glove-first utilityman, however Mayo was a 50-FV prospect whose carrying software was his 70-grade uncooked energy. He ranked 52nd total on our 2025 High 100 Prospects listing, along with his protection — and doubts about whether or not he might deal with third base within the majors — curbing his projected worth. Additionally troubling was Mayo’s incapacity to hit within the minors; his 2024 Triple-A wRC+ of 138 Wile E. Coyote’d off the cliff to a 103 final 12 months. He had an excessive amount of enjoying time to look on the 2026 prospects lists, but when I had included him within the ZiPS High 100, he would have plummeted from eleventh coming into final 12 months to no. 146 after only a single season. All that being stated, Mayo is barely 24, so if there’s a comeback story in him, this could be the Inspirational Sports activities Film© time to search out it.

Ideally, the O’s could be fairly pleased with an infield of Pete Alonso at first, Holliday at second, Henderson at quick, and Westburg at third, however till Westburg reveals he can keep wholesome for a full season, and Holliday both improves in opposition to lefties or cleans up his protection, backup infielders stay very important to this crew.

From an total crew perspective, the implications of the Westburg and Holliday accidents don’t seem dire to the projections. ZiPS had already factored in Westburg’s harm danger into Baltimore’s projections, and it was being cautious with reference to a attainable Holliday breakout, so the crew is now projected to lose lower than a win from its pre-injury forecast. That’s assuming these accidents don’t drag out longer than anticipated, which, in fact, accidents are wont to do, however that’s an issue for Future Dan to fret about.

Shedding Westburg for greater than a month is an unwelcome sight, however issues could possibly be a lot worse for the Orioles. If, as an alternative, a member of their beginning rotation went down with a UCL harm, this could be a totally totally different story.