Rays' division rival receives unfortunate news ahead of spring training

The rival Orioles have had an offseason for the ages as they've added the likes of Taylor Ward, Ryan Helsley, Shane Baz, and 5-time All-Star Pete Alonso. These newcomers will surely enhance their lineup and roster as well, but the returners must all be included in the mix. Unfortunately, they received some bad news for one of their 2025 contributors.

Orioles' Jordan Westburg sidelined with potential elbow injury

Despite the great depth that Baltimore will have going into the 2026 season, the loss of Jordan Westburg in their everyday lineup would be tragic. According to Orioles beat reporter Jake Rill, the 27-year-old infielder is "physically unable to participate" at the Orioles' camp. The Texas native was selected by the Orioles in the first round of the 2020 draft. Prior to the MLB draft, Westburg played alongside former Rays outfielder Jake Mangum at Mississippi State for two consecutive seasons. The success and comradery in his college experience likely spurred his future MLB ambitions.

Westburg sped through the minors at a good pace despite staying under the radar as he was viewed as the No. 74 prospect in baseball prior to his call-up. This comes as a shock as the 6'1 infielder tore up the Orioles' farm system, hitting .281 with 65 home runs in 331 games. If you do the math, that's a pace of about 32 homers per seasons in the minor league ranks.

The Orioles made the simple decision of calling him up in 2023 and he has never missed a beat. The skillful infielder has primarily played third base for the AL East club, and he holds down the hot corner very well. His .264 career AVG over three MLB seasons is worthy of praise, especially in a division that includes Gerrit Cole, Garrett Crochet, and Kevin Gausman year in and year out.

Therefore, this injury scare hits home for Orioles' fans as they've had trouble taking advantage of their core of young, talented players. The 2023 Rookie of the Year, Gunnar Henderson was also sidelined for a while due to an early injury, so it's been difficult for them to assemble a full, healthy squad. Nevertheless, we wish Westburg a speedy recovery, so that we can face the AL East, particularly the Orioles, at their best.