The Orioles face tough news as Jordan Westburg's elbow injury could sideline him through April, with surgery a real possibility.
Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg received some tough news on Friday when imaging on his right elbow revealed a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, and the 27-year-old will now be sidelined through at least the end of April.
What We Know About the Injury
Westburg had been rehabbing a right oblique strain when he felt soreness in his elbow during a throwing drill at spring training, and after being evaluated by the team's medical staff he was sent to Los Angeles to meet with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion.
The imaging confirmed that Westburg has a partial UCL tear that doctors believe has actually been there for some time, but it had never flared up to this level until now.
Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias announced that Westburg will receive a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection today in Los Angeles with the hope of avoiding Tommy John surgery or an internal brace procedure, either of which would likely end his 2026 season before it starts.
"I feel terrible for him," Elias said, adding that Westburg is one of their hardest workers and best teammates and that everyone in the organization is feeling for him right now.
How Bad Is This for Westburg?
The UCL is the same ligament that requires Tommy John surgery when fully torn, and while the partial tear gives Westburg a chance to avoid going under the knife, the PRP injection is far from a sure thing.
If the injection does its job and the ligament responds well, Westburg could potentially return sometime after April, possibly starting as a designated hitter before working his way back to playing the field at third base.
If the PRP route does not work, surgery would likely be the next step, and that would almost certainly wipe out the rest of his season.
The injury-plagued infielder has yet to play more than 107 games in any of his three MLB seasons, as a broken hand cost him time in 2024 and hamstring and ankle injuries limited him to just 85 games last year.
A Huge Blow for Baltimore
When healthy, Westburg has been one of Baltimore's most productive hitters, owning a career .264/.312/.456 slash line with 38 home runs and 127 RBIs across 260 games, and he was named an All-Star in 2024.
Last season he hit .265 with 17 home runs and a .770 OPS in a limited 85-game sample, showing that the talent is absolutely there when his body cooperates.
The timing could not be worse for the Orioles, who finished just 75-87 in 2025 and spent the offseason making aggressive moves to get back into contention in a loaded American League East.
Baltimore now enters the 2026 season without two of its four starting infielders, as second baseman Jackson Holliday is also recovering from surgery on a broken hamate bone in his right hand and is expected to miss the early part of the season as well.
Former top prospect Coby Mayo is expected to step in at third base for the time being, and he showed promise down the stretch last September when he posted a .941 OPS in a small sample of 73 at-bats.
The Orioles open their Grapefruit League schedule on Friday against the New York Yankees, and while the front office remains hopeful that Westburg can return as soon as possible, the reality is that Baltimore will have to find a way to survive without one of its best players for at least the first month of the season.