WASHINGTON -- Jordan Westburg will not play any games during the 2026 season.
Westburg underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery on his injured right elbow this week, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias announced Friday prior to the club's opener at Nationals Park in Washington. It’s a disappointing development for the 27-year-old infielder, who had a partial UCL tear and had hoped to play this year after getting a platelet-rich plasma injection on Feb. 20.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. Westburg met with ElAttrache on Monday, at which point the options moving forward were discussed. After deliberation, Westburg decided to undergo the surgery.
"I think it's too early to put a specific timeline on something like this, but him being back as a full player in the early part of 2027 is very much in play," Elias said. "But we've got to just kind of wait and get going on the rehab, and I think it'll be a long time before we have more exact clarity on that plan.
"Obviously, it's a huge blow for the team, and it's an unexpected one. It isn't something that we were braced for coming into the year. To Jordan's credit, he wanted to try everything he could to come back and help the team this year, and help the team as an infielder, but it just wasn't working out."
Baltimore has experienced bad injury luck since the beginning of 2025, using the injured list 39 times for 29 players last year and having already used it for 19 players this season (including 13 currently sidelined). Westburg has perhaps felt it the most.
In 2025, Westburg was limited to 85 games due to injuries to his left hamstring, left index finger and right ankle. He also fractured his right hand during the second half of the ‘24 season and dealt with lower back soreness during Spring Training in ‘25.
Heading into this spring, Westburg was slowed by a right oblique ailment. He was rehabbing that injury when he felt discomfort in his right elbow while throwing a baseball at the O’s complex in Sarasota, Fla.
After the PRP injection, Westburg had again been building up his throwing progression until he got shut down earlier this month due to recurring discomfort in the elbow.
“You hurt for Westy. It stinks," manager Craig Albernaz said. "It's been a tough go for him, coming into Spring Training with the oblique and now this. It sucks for Westy. We think about him. Hope he's in good spirits. Talked to him today, he seemed like he's fine. But also, he's not going to be with us."
When healthy, Westburg has been among the Orioles’ top hitters. The 2024 All-Star hit .264 with 38 home runs and a .768 OPS in 260 games over the previous three seasons.
It’s been frustrating for everyone involved that Westburg hasn’t been on the field more often.
“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?'" Westburg said during Spring Training in mid-February. "Worked really hard this year with a physical therapist to get my body feeling about as good as I have my whole career. I felt like I was doing everything right, and here we are again.”
In Westburg’s absence, Baltimore has used Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander and Weston Wilson at third base. Mayo has started at the hot corner in 26 of the team’s first 44 games (and was there again Friday), but the 24-year-old has had recent defensive struggles, including a two-out throwing error on May 7 that resulted in a walk-off win for the Marlins. Wilson had started three of the previous four games at third entering Friday.
The O’s are having Jackson Holliday (right hamate surgery) play some third base during his current rehab assignment, including on Sunday for Double-A Chesapeake and Tuesday for Triple-A Norfolk. The 22-year-old has primarily played second base during his two MLB seasons and grew up playing mostly shortstop, but he could become an option at third once he returns to Baltimore, which could be as soon as next week.
"It's so quick and sudden, but he did come up as a shortstop, so he's got experience on the left side of the infield," Elias said. "We talked about it with him thoroughly. He understands the situation, and we're just trying to keep our options open, so there's as much versatility as possible."