Jordan Westburg’s UCL Tear: Orioles Infielder Faces Month-Long IL Stint
- The Orioles infielder, who was hoping for a different narrative in 2026, will miss Opening Day – and at least the first month of the season – due...
- "You can imagine how frustrating and disappointing This proves," Westburg said Sunday morning in the O's Spring Training clubhouse.
- The injury, revealed on February 20th, is the latest setback in a string of ailments that have plagued the 27-year-old since a fractured right hand sidelined him in...
SARASOTA, Fla. — The frustration is palpable for Jordan Westburg. The Orioles infielder, who was hoping for a different narrative in , will miss Opening Day – and at least the first month of the season – due to a partial UCL tear in his right elbow.
“You can imagine how frustrating and disappointing This proves,” Westburg said Sunday morning in the O’s Spring Training clubhouse. “But at the same time, what am I going to do about it? I do feel like I was doing everything the right way, or to the best of my knowledge the right way. And these things are still happening.”
The injury, revealed on , is the latest setback in a string of ailments that have plagued the 27-year-old since a fractured right hand sidelined him in . What began as a tweaked right oblique early in Spring Training revealed a more significant issue, further complicating the Orioles’ infield plans for the upcoming season.
A detailed timeline of Westburg’s injuries since , paints a picture of persistent misfortune:
- 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
Remarkably, Westburg hadn’t experienced this level of injury trouble during his time in the Minor Leagues. He played 112 games in , 138 in , and 135 in – the year he made his Major League debut. The recent spate of injuries, following a season where he appeared in 107 games and an season limited to 85, has understandably taken a toll.
“I’d like to sit here and say extremely confident,” Westburg admitted. “But some of this wears on you mentally. So I mean, there are doubts. But I’m going to do my best to see what avenues that I can go down to maybe help bulletproof my body a little bit more. I don’t know if there’s a way to do that, but like, I’m going to try, you know?”
He added, “That’s another frustrating part of this, is I do feel like I was able to stay healthy and play through a lot of things. And to an extent, I did the past couple years, still playing through things that weren’t disclosed and weren’t announced. Some of these major ones, you just can’t play through.”
The Orioles are proceeding with a PRP injection, hoping to avoid surgery. The team’s president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, expressed optimism that Westburg could return at some point this season, though he’s already ruled out for all of April. The success of this approach is bolstered by precedents – players like Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper have previously undergone PRP injections for elbow issues and returned to play without surgery.
“I don’t know how my specific injury or scenario coincides with theirs. I don’t know a ton of those guys, I haven’t talked to a ton of those guys,” Westburg said. “So for me personally, it’s just kind of hope and pray this injection does its thing, and then take it a day at a time.”
Westburg’s absence, coupled with the injury to second baseman Jackson Holliday (who is recovering from a broken hamate bone), significantly alters the Orioles’ infield outlook. Pete Alonso at first base and Gunnar Henderson at shortstop remain fixtures, but the roles at second and third are now up for grabs. Blaze Alexander and Coby Mayo are currently considered the frontrunners for those positions.
Jeremiah Jackson, an infielder/outfielder, could also factor into the mix, providing valuable depth and versatility. The Orioles’ ability to navigate this early-season adversity will be crucial as they aim to improve upon their record of 75-87.
Despite his own setback, Westburg remains confident in the depth of the Orioles roster. “Those guys have it handled. And somebody’s going to step up, somebody’s going to play a lot of good baseball for us,” he said. “At some point, I hope I can join in, and whatever my role needs to be at that point, I’m more than happy to step in.”
Westburg has been a productive hitter when healthy, posting a .264/.312/.456 slash line across 260 career games. His ability to contribute offensively will be sorely missed, but the Orioles are banking on their depth to weather the storm until he returns.