Jordan Westburg reported to Orioles spring training and landed on the “surprise offseason injury” list immediately with a reported sore oblique. Within the last day, rumors swirled up out of places that aren’t usually worth taking seriously as sources of reliable baseball information about concerns about Westburg’s elbow. Unfortunately, those concerns have now hit the mainstream press, with The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka being the first to report that Westburg has had imaging done on his elbow.
As of yet, nothing has been reported by the Orioles regarding this injury. Reporters including Kostka and MASN’s Roch Kubatko tried to pin down manager Craig Albernaz about what was going on with Westburg, whether there were additional concerns for him than just the previously-reported oblique. “He’s physically unable to participate right now,” was the manager’s cagey response, dodging away from directly responding about the elbow.
More concerning for me is this one from the manager, relayed from Kubatko’s article:
Asked about possible concerns within the organization that Westburg is hurt worse than assumed, Albernaz said, “Oh, just want to make sure we’re doing our due diligence and make sure Jordan is in the best chance to play this year.”
I’ve added the bold for emphasis because for me that’s the classic tell about when an injury is worse than anyone with the team has openly said. Until 24 hours ago, there was no indication that there might be any reason why Westburg would not play this year. Even if you were glum about the oblique, that’s not a miss all season injury. Albernaz wouldn’t have referred to it that way.
With Kostka’s report following shortly after that scrum, it’s not looking good. Secret elbow imaging with delays for “due diligence” pretty much only end up one way, even if it is much less common for an infielder to require surgery on the elbow. For now, there’s no precise news.
Exhibition games haven’t even begun yet for the Orioles and we already know they’re going to have to resort to backup plans at multiple positions in the infield. Westburg’s situation added to Jackson Holliday’s broken hamate bone means that second base and third base will have different players on Opening Day than we all would have assumed two weeks ago.
If Westburg is missing a substantial amount of time, the question of whether Coby Mayo can semi-competently handle third base at the major league level is something the Orioles are going to need to figure out over the course of the Grapefruit League schedule. If Mayo is able to do this, and also if he is able to hit like he showed last September, then Westburg’s absence will be far less bruising. If Mayo is not the answer, the team will need to scramble for Plan C.
Recently-acquired infielder Blaze Alexander seems like the candidate to get several weeks worth of starts at second base until Holliday returns to action. That’s not why the Orioles acquired him, since Holliday’s injury hadn’t even happened yet when the Orioles made the trade. The way things have played out, it seems like that’s the use he should get.
Nobody else get hurt for the rest of camp. Thanks!