Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz delivered a tough update on Monday regarding infielder Jordan Westburg, revealing that his recovery from a right elbow injury has hit its first significant setback.
Westburg has been sidelined for the entire 2026 MLB season after experiencing discomfort in his right elbow early in spring training. The team placed him on the 60-day injured list on April 1, and initial tests showed a partial tear of the UCL in his throwing arm.
The Orioles opted for a conservative approach, choosing rest and rehabilitation over immediate surgery. Westburg received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection and had been steadily progressing through baseball activities and a structured throwing program. However, that momentum has now come to a halt.
“Jordan Westburg is being shut down from throwing and is being reevaluated,” Albernaz told reporters, as reported by Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. “Westburg was feeling discomfort in his elbow as he progressed through his throwing program.”
This marks the first major roadblock in Westburg’s attempt to avoid surgery, and it raises serious concerns that he may ultimately need a procedure to repair the ligament—a decision that would likely end his season. It's a tough blow for the Orioles, who were counting on the 27-year-old infielder to be a key piece of their lineup this year.
Westburg earned an All-Star selection in 2024 and has been a steady contributor since making his MLB debut with Baltimore. Over his career, he owns a .264 batting average, a .312 on-base percentage, a .768 OPS, 38 home runs, and 127 RBIs. Drafted in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft, Westburg has spent his entire professional career with the Orioles and had become one of their most dependable everyday players—until injury issues began to creep in starting in 2025.
For Orioles fans and fantasy baseball owners alike, this is a frustrating development. Westburg's combination of power and versatility in the infield is hard to replace, and the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether he can avoid the surgeon's table.