Orioles player Jordan Westburg he was derailed by a groin injury in camp and was expected to miss the first few playoffs as a result. However, it seems that there is a bigger concern than some type of oblique. Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner reports that Westburg was sent for an elbow injury. The results have not been revealed. O’s broadcaster Brooks Rothschild suggested yesterday that Westburg could miss significant time with an elbow problem.
Asked today if Westburg was dealing with an elbow problem in addition to this minor injury, manager Craig Albernaz told reporters (via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko): “Right now, he’s not able to participate.
Baltimore’s infield is already stacked. Second baseman Jackson Holiday he recently broke his hamate and is expected to open the season on the injured list. Westburg was the third baseman for Baltimore but has more experience at second base and could fill in for Holliday this season. Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander or Jeremiah Jackson handle the hot corner. Now, there appears to be a possibility that Westburg will join Holliday on the injured list.
Since his 2023 MLB debut, the 27-year-old Westburg has been a productive, well-rounded player when healthy. The “if healthy” caveat proved critical, however. Westburg has never topped 107 games or 447 plate appearances in the major leagues. Since his first call-up to the senior team, he has seen IL time with a broken hand, hamstring pain and an ankle sprain. Westburg owns a .264/.312/.456 batting line in 1027 big league games, but has played in just 341 games (majors and minors combined) over the past three seasons.
Baltimore offered a high-profile front Coby Mayo more reps at third base during spring training and will likely continue to do so. Mayo said the focus of his early spring practice was his defense at the hot corner. He was drafted as a third baseman, but scouts have long questioned whether he can handle the position, and the O’s have given him most of his big league career at first base. However, in between Pete Alonso signings and injuries elsewhere in the infield, it makes sense to get Mayo another job at third base to see if he can help there at least on a regular basis.
Mayo’s name was bandied about in rumors all winter. Even as recently as this weekend, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggested that Baltimore continued to discuss potential trade scenarios with the 24-year-old. If there are now concerns about Westburg’s availability, one would think that would dampen any such discussions (unless, hypothetically, Mayo is traded for a seasoned player).
If Westburg is sidelined for any significant amount of time, there are opportunities outside of the organization. Old friends Ramón Urías, Jose Iglesias again Emmanuel Rivera remain unsigned, as do veteran utilities Jon Berti again Luis Urías (Ramón’s younger brother). None of these players would be expected to match a healthy Westburg offense, but any of the three would deepen the infield mix and – especially Urias and Berti – provide a dynamic defense. Thousands of trading opportunities abound, even beyond the obvious names that still exist in the market. The aforementioned Alexander was certainly not the most talked about person when the O’s were posted Kade Stroud and a few prospects in Arizona to free him.
That exchange looked amazing at the time but now it will pay big dividends. Alexander can handle second base or third base. He hit .230/.323/.383 in 74 games last year but finished the season with an impressive .239/.338/.415 following the D-backs trade. Eugenio Suárezat which point Alexander took over as the third baseman.
