O's lose Westburg to fractured hand, hope for regular-season return
This browser does not support the video element.
BALTIMORE -- The Orioles took three out of four games from the Blue Jays with a 10-4 victory at Camden Yards on Wednesday afternoon, a day highlighted by a Jackson Holliday grand slam that marked the first big league homer for MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 1 overall prospect. Yet, there was still a bit of a somber mood afterward in the team¡¯s clubhouse.
Baltimore has lost one of its key offensive producers for the foreseeable future.
Jordan Westburg fractured his right hand in the fifth inning of the contest, moments before Holliday¡¯s slam. The 25-year-old All-Star infielder was drilled by a 95.2 mph four-seam fastball from right-hander Yerry Rodr¨ªguez, stayed in the game to run the bases and then was replaced at third base by Ram¨®n Ur¨ªas to open the sixth.
This browser does not support the video element.
The O¡¯s will be placing Westburg on the injured list, and they hope to get him back before the end of the regular season, per manager Brandon Hyde.
¡°Injuries are a part of the game. We have to pick up the pieces for him,¡± Hyde said. ¡°We¡¯ve got to play well. He¡¯s a huge part of our lineup, our culture, really everything. He¡¯s right in the middle of everything. We have to have other guys kind of step up in his place and fill the void.¡±
Westburg will be a tremendous loss, considering he¡¯s been having a breakout sophomore season, which resulted in him being named an American League All-Star for the first time.
Through 101 games, Westburg was slashing .269/.317/.497 with 25 doubles, five triples, 18 home runs and 58 RBIs. He also has provided solid defense while bouncing between second and third base. As a rookie in 2023, Westburg hit .260 with 17 doubles, two triples, three homers, 23 RBIs and a .715 OPS in 68 games.
Ask around the Orioles¡¯ clubhouse, and everybody would agree that Westburg is one of the hardest-working players on the team, if not the hardest worker. The stoic demeanor he shows on a daily basis comes from his drive and focus to put in as much work as possible when he arrives at the ballpark.
¡°Knowing him, he¡¯s going to grind back, and hopefully, it¡¯s not too long,¡± said outfielder Colton Cowser, one of Westburg¡¯s closest friends on the team.
Other Baltimore players expressed their support for their teammate after the game as well.
¡°Really thinking about him right now, obviously,¡± right-hander Grayson Rodriguez said. ¡°You never want to see that happen.¡±
¡°That sucks. I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Holliday said when asked about Westburg¡¯s hand fracture. ¡°That¡¯s hard to hear.¡±
This browser does not support the video element.
Infielder Livan Soto, who was acquired in a trade with the Reds on Tuesday, will reportedly be joining the Orioles in Cleveland, where they open a four-game series vs. the Guardians on Thursday. The 24-year-old had two brief stints in the organization earlier this year, though he never played in the Majors for the O¡¯s.
In the long term, however, Westburg¡¯s injury could lead to an opportunity for third/first baseman Coby Mayo (Baltimore¡¯s No. 3 prospect and MLB Pipeline¡¯s No. 15 overall) to get his first big league call-up. The 22-year-old is slashing .293/.366/.578 with 20 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs and 59 RBIs in 75 Triple-A games this season.