The Baltimore Orioles have suffered a devastating blow to their already struggling season, as third baseman Jordan Westburg has been ruled out for the entire 2026 campaign following the need for season-ending elbow surgery, according to the Baltimore Banner.
The 27-year-old infielder, who was a key contributor when healthy, initially tried to avoid surgery after being diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow during spring training. The team opted for a platelet-rich plasma injection and a rehab-focused approach, hoping Westburg could return mid-season. However, persistent elbow discomfort in May forced a change in plans, and now Westburg will undergo UCL repair. While he should be ready to hit by the start of 2027 spring training, returning to full defensive duties—including making throws across the diamond—will take considerably longer.
This is a crushing loss for a Baltimore squad that currently sits below .500 and is desperately seeking stability. Westburg was coming off a solid 2025 campaign, posting a 114 OPS+ with 17 home runs in just 85 games despite being hampered by injuries. In 2024, he earned his first All-Star nod and belted 18 homers in 107 games. As a former first-round pick and consensus top-100 prospect, Westburg had largely lived up to expectations when on the field—but that simply won't be the case this season.
The absence leaves a glaring hole at third base that the Orioles have been unable to fill. Through the first part of 2026, Baltimore third basemen have combined for a paltry .523 OPS, ranking 27th out of 30 MLB teams. Coby Mayo has been the primary fill-in, but the 24-year-old has struggled mightily, slashing just .174/.242/.321 with four home runs in 109 at-bats while striking out over 30% of the time. Defensively, he's also been stretched at the hot corner.
Mayo was once a highly touted prospect, even cracking the top 15 overall prior to the 2025 season, but he has yet to find his footing across 460 big-league plate appearances. If he can suddenly tap into that expected potential, the Orioles might be able to weather his defensive limitations. So far, however, that breakthrough remains elusive, and with Blaze Alexander and Weston Wilson also seeing time at third, Baltimore's infield situation is growing increasingly precarious.
For a team already under pressure to turn things around, all eyes now fall on top prospect Jackson Holliday and the rest of the young core to step up—because without Westburg, the margin for error has never been thinner.