Injury Bug Bites Again: Orioles Hoping Jordan Westburg’s Oblique Strain Isn’t a Sign of More Trouble
The Orioles’ spring got off to a rocky start with Jackson Holliday sidelined by a broken hamate bone, but it’s the injury to Jordan Westburg that might carry more weight when it comes to Baltimore’s hopes for a bounce-back season in 2026.
Let’s be clear - Holliday missing Opening Day isn’t ideal. He’s a cornerstone in development, and losing a few weeks of early reps stings.
But hamate injuries, while annoying, tend to be one-off issues with a good long-term outlook. Westburg’s situation?
That’s a little more complicated - and a little more concerning.
The 27-year-old infielder is dealing with an oblique strain, and while the team is being cautious, it’s the kind of injury that can linger if not handled carefully. Given what Westburg went through last season, this isn’t the kind of news the Orioles wanted to hear.
It wasn’t long ago that Westburg looked like a breakout star in Baltimore. In his first full season, he earned an All-Star nod and seemed poised to be a foundational piece of the Orioles’ young core.
But right after that Midsummer Classic, he took a 95 mph fastball off the hand, fracturing it and missing nearly two months. That injury not only derailed his personal momentum - it coincided with the Orioles’ second-half slide in 2024.
Before that, Westburg had been a model of durability. But 2025 brought more setbacks.
He was limited to just 85 games, and even when he played, he wasn’t always at full strength. Still, he managed to put up solid numbers: a .265 average, 17 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .770 OPS.
That’s a productive season by most standards - especially considering the limited playing time and lingering physical issues.
And it wasn’t just the bat. Westburg continued to show his value defensively, playing both second and third base at a high level. That kind of versatility is gold for a team trying to piece together a winning formula, especially with other young players still finding their footing.
Ask around the clubhouse, and you’ll hear the same thing: Westburg is a glue guy. Teammates respect him, coaches trust him, and his presence - both on the field and in the dugout - matters.
Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias provided a bit of reassurance this week, saying Westburg has “turned the corner” and is on the path to recovery. The team will keep him out of early Grapefruit League action as a precaution, which makes sense.
No need to rush a key player back in February. But the fact that Westburg is already dealing with a soft-tissue issue before the games even start does raise some red flags - particularly about how the club is managing health and conditioning.
With Holliday out to start the year, the Orioles need Westburg to be right - and ready. That means no setbacks, no half-speed returns. They’ll be leaning on a mix of Blaze Alexander, Jeremiah Jackson, and possibly Coby Mayo to cover second and third base in the short term, but none of those options bring the same combination of experience, production, and defensive flexibility that Westburg does.
The offseason additions of Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward should help take some of the offensive pressure off the younger core. That’s a big deal.
Last year’s lineup was banged up and overextended, and the pitching staff didn’t do them any favors. But for Baltimore to truly take the next step - to get back to October baseball - they need players like Westburg healthy, consistent, and available.
This oblique strain might just be a minor bump in the road. That’s certainly the hope in Sarasota.
But after a year and a half of frustrating injury luck, the Orioles can’t afford for it to be the start of another difficult chapter. They need Westburg not just on the field - they need him at full strength, playing like the All-Star he showed he could be.