For the second time because the opening of spring coaching, the Baltimore Orioles misplaced one in all their beginning infielders to damage. On Friday, Baltimore introduced that third baseman Jordan Westburg would miss vital time resulting from {a partially} torn UCL in his throwing elbow. Westburg obtained a platelet-rich plasma injection, generally used for delicate tissue and joint accidents, and will likely be out not less than till the tip of April, in keeping with workforce president Mike Elias.
Jordan Westburg has a partial UCL tear in his proper elbow and will likely be getting a PRP injection at the moment, per Orioles POBO/GM Mike Elias.
Westburg will likely 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 damage, 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 workforce 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 by way of 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 gained 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 be gone, a free agent after being designated for project final season; he’s now taking part in for Czechia on this 12 months’s World Baseball Basic.
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 large league audition. He comfortably exceeded expectations, hitting .276/.328/.447 whereas beginning in proper discipline 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 ample starter. ZiPS initiatives 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 shouldn’t be 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 discipline. ZiPS gave him a fair stronger projection than Jackson, with 2.1 WAR over 459 projected plate appearances. Alexander’s greatest drawback in Arizona was an absence of alternative, as few mortals are going to seize a full-time center infield job on a workforce that employs each Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte. When push involves shove, it was unlikely that Arizona would’ve prioritized getting Alexander taking part in time over Jordan Lawlar or, within the medium time period, Tommy Troy.
Westburg’s damage 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 might’ve been high-quality 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 checklist, together with his protection — and doubts about whether or not he may 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 taking part in time to seem 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 mentioned, Mayo is barely 24, so if there’s a comeback story in him, this might be the Inspirational Sports activities Film© time to seek 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 exhibits he can keep wholesome for a full season, and Holliday both improves towards lefties or cleans up his protection, backup infielders stay very important to this workforce.
From an total workforce perspective, the implications of the Westburg and Holliday accidents don’t seem dire to the projections. ZiPS had already factored in Westburg’s damage danger into Baltimore’s projections, and it was being cautious with reference to a doable Holliday breakout, so the workforce 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.
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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 damage, this might be a totally completely different story.
