Jordan Westburg Diagnosed With Partial UCL Tear

Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg has been diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, president of baseball operations Mike Elias announced to reporters this morning (via Jake Rill of MLB.com). For now, Westburg will not undergo surgery. He’ll receive a platelet-rich plasma injection today in hopes of avoiding an internal brace or Tommy John procedure, either of which would sideline him for the majority or entirety of the year. Westburg will miss at least the month of April. A further timetable will hinge on how well the PRP injection works.

Given the timing of the injury, it makes sense that Westburg would opt for an injection, rest and rehab rather than immediately going under the knife. The recovery timetable for position players coming back from UCL surgery is shorter than for pitchers but still tends to take at least six months just to return as a designated hitter, though timelines vary depending on whether a full reconstruction (Tommy John surgery) or a less-invasive repair (internal brace) is required.

For instance, Bryce Harper had Tommy John surgery in Nov. 2022 and was on the field as a DH about five and a half months later. Trevor Story had an internal brace procedure in Jan. 2023 and made it back to the field as a shortstop seven months later. Every injury is different, and we don’t know the extent of the tear with which Westburg is dealing. Based on some recent precedents like Harper and Story, immediate surgery would probably have resulted in a best-case scenario of Westburg returning as a DH in August, with a chance of playing some third base very late in the regular season.

Of course, there’s also the strong possibility that undergoing surgery right now cost Westburg the entirety of the 2026 campaign. If the O’s and the medical experts with which Westburg consulted feel that was the likely outcome and that he’d be be sidelined until next spring anyhow, then this is a logical course of action. By going the PRP route, Westburg gives himself the best chance of being available for a decent chunk of the 2026 season — and if he has to undergo surgery in May, he’ll still be expected to be ready for next year’s spring training.

Elias detailed (via Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner) that Westburg felt elbow discomfort while throwing during his rehab from the oblique injury that he was already known to have. Imaging revealed a partial tear in his elbow, which doctors now believe to have been there for some time. There’s no telling right now whether the PRP will prove sufficient, but Elias suggested that Westburg could return as a designated hitter first if the injection looks to be taking hold.

Even if Westburg “only” misses a couple months of the season rather than the entire year, it’s still a critical loss for Baltimore. The O’s will already be without second baseman Jackson Holliday on Opening Day following his recent surgery to address a hamate fracture, so they’ll be down 50% of their starting infield.

Westburg, 27, has been a well-rounded, productive player ever since debuting in 2023. He’s a career .264/.312/.456 hitter with 38 homers, 53 doubles and eight triples in 1027 career plate appearances. Injuries have far too frequently kept him off the field, however. He’s missed time due to a broken hand, a pair of hamstring strains and an ankle sprain in his two-plus seasons at the MLB level. He’s yet to top 107 games in a big league season, and today’s injury revelation casts some major doubt on whether he’ll be able to further that career-high mark in 2026.

With Westburg and Holliday both shelved, the Orioles’ Opening Day infield will have quite a different look than expected. Former top prospect Coby Mayo has been focusing his offseason and spring work on third base and figures to open the season there in place of Westburg. Trade acquisition Blaze Alexander can handle third base if Mayo struggles considerably, but he’s also one of the lead options to open the season at second base in place of Holliday. Utilityman Jeremiah Jackson could log time at either position.

It’s also feasible that the Orioles could bring in some veteran infield depth. Old friends Ramón Urías, Jose Iglesias and Emmanuel Rivera remain unsigned, as do veteran utility options like Luis Urías (Ramon’s younger brother) and Jon Berti. Spring training always leads to the placement of a few dozen players on waivers, as non-roster veterans or prospects make their clubs and are selected to the 40-man roster with their current team. Some of those non-roster vets who don’t make the cut with their current club could opt out or be granted their release later in camp, which could give Baltimore other options to consider.