NEW YORK -- Few MLB teams have been as plagued by injuries over the past two seasons than the Orioles. And perhaps no player has had worse injury luck than Jordan Westburg.
More tough news came regarding the 27-year-old infielder on Monday.
Prior to the O’s series finale at Yankee Stadium, manager Craig Albernaz announced that Westburg -- who has a partial right UCL tear -- experienced discomfort recently while continuing his throwing progression at the club’s Spring Training complex in Sarasota, Fla. Baltimore has decided to shut down Westburg, who will be re-evaluated at a later time.
It’s another unfortunate development for the 2024 All-Star. Westburg’s timeline of injury situations shows how difficult of a time he's had pertaining to his health:
July 31, 2024: Fractures right hand, doesn't return until Sept. 22
Spring Training 2025: Lower back soreness, returns by Opening Day
Late March/early April 2025: Undisclosed upper-body injury, plays through it
April 27-June 10, 2025: Left hamstring strain, goes on injured list
Mid-June 2025: Left index finger sprain, misses multiple games
Late June/early July 2025: Reaggravates left index finger sprain, misses multiple more games
Aug. 19-Sept. 16, 2025: Right ankle sprain, goes on IL
Mid-January/February 2026: Tweaks right oblique, limited early in Spring Training
Mid-February 2026: Imaging reveals partial UCL tear in right elbow, receives platelet-rich plasma injection on Feb. 20
May 2026: Shut down after experiencing discomfort in elbow during throwing progression
"My biggest takeaway going into [this past] offseason was kind of like, 'What can I do in preparation to try to put together a full season?' Worked really hard this year with a physical therapist to get my body feeling about as good as I have my whole career," Westburg said during Spring Training in mid-February. “I felt like I was doing everything right, and here we are again.”
When healthy, Westburg has been one of Baltimore's best players in recent years. In three MLB seasons from 2023-25, he hit .264 with 53 doubles, eight triples, 38 home runs, 127 RBIs and a .768 OPS in 260 games. He's also capable of playing above-average defense at both second and third base.
Last year, Westburg hit .265 with 10 doubles, one triple, 17 homers, 41 RBIs and a .770 OPS in 85 games.
The Orioles will hope that Westburg begins to feel better and can still return later this season. But if he ends up needing to get Tommy John surgery, he would be out for the entire year.
There has not yet been a discussion regarding whether Baltimore would consider bringing back Westburg exclusively as a designated hitter so he would not have to throw the ball on defense.
"Not yet, because we're hopeful to get him back," president of baseball operations Mike Elias said on April 24. "I hope that doesn't become a conversation. If it ever does, I guess we'll cross that bridge. But right now, we're preparing him to come back as an infielder and a third baseman."
After using the injured list 39 times for 29 players in 2025, the O's have already had 16 players spend time on the IL this season (including 11 who are currently on it).
Here are some other new updates on injured Orioles players:
• Second baseman Jackson Holliday (right hamate surgery) is scheduled to join Double-A Chesapeake on Tuesday to hit live batting practice. If everything progresses well, the 22-year-old will begin a new rehab assignment and start playing in games later this week.
Holliday has already played 14 rehab games over two previous assignments, as he's been pulled off early twice. Most recently, he experienced right hand discomfort during a game for Triple-A Norfolk on April 21. An MRI, an X-ray and a CT scan all came back clean, and he's been getting treatment for inflammation.
• Closer Ryan Helsley (right elbow inflammation) has started getting treatment. The 31-year-old right-hander will be re-evaluated for throwing later this week.
• Outfielder Heston Kjerstad (right hamstring strain) will be re-evaluated soon and could potentially begin a rehab assignment in the near future.
• Left-hander Trevor Rogers (illness) is feeling better and expected to join the O's in Miami on Tuesday. The 28-year-old is eligible to be reinstated from the 15-day IL on May 11.