Jordan

Westburg

Westburg remains without a definitive return timetable as he goes the rest and recovery route with a UCL sprain in his right elbow. The 27-year-old infielder figures to be sidelined until at least late May or early June, even in a best-case scenario.

The Orioles needed a spot on the 40-man roster for Albert Suarez to move into the rotation, so they transferred Westburg. While nothing has materially changed with Westburg’s recovery from a UCL injury, this does mean he can’t return before May 21st at the earliest.

Orioles president Mike Elias told reporters over the weekend that Westburg was unlikely to be ready to return by the start of May. The 27-year-old infielder was diagnosed with a partially torn UCL back in late February and opted to go the rest and rehabilitation route instead of surgery. There should be a more definitive return timetable once he’s cleared to resume baseball activities.

“Things are going fine so far, but we still have a lot of time ahead of us,” Elias said. Westburg isn’t currently on the 60-day IL, but he might wind up there if the Orioles need his spot on the 40-man. As is, it looks like Coby Mayo will be Baltimore’s primary third baseman for at least the first 6-8 weeks.

Basallo’s home run was a 375-foot shot off Andrew Painter that left the bat at 105.7 mph, and then he added a 108.7 mph double later in the game. The 21-year-old has acquitted himself well this spring, and with Coby Mayo now slated to start at third base until Jordan Westburg (elbow/oblique) returns, Basallo has a much clearer run at playing time. Ryan Mountcastle remains, and we don’t know when Westburg will return, but if Basallo hits early in the season, he could find himself starting against all right-handed pitchers.

That’s in addition to the oblique issue that had shelved him recently in Orioles’ camp. Elias noted that Westburg will not undergo Tommy John surgery, opting instead for PRP injections. He’s going to miss the entire month of April at a minimum and will then be re-evaluated. It’s another major setback for the talented but oft-injured 27-year-old infielder.

Albernaz didn’t directly address what was wrong with Westburg or how long he might be out. He added that Westburg is talking to the Orioles’ medical staff and seeing outside doctors as the team tries to “make sure that we’re doing our due diligence and make sure Jordan is in the best chance to play this year.” All of that sounds far more ominous than we’d like, and while we hope for Westburg’s good health, we can’t recommend drafting him in fantasy leagues.

Westburg also mentioned that he “doesn’t know how it happened.” He just woke up sore and went to the team to get an MRI on his oblique. While it’s not currently expected to be a long-term absence, Westburg has been snake-bitten by injuries during his brief MLB tenure, so it’s not a great sign that he’s already hurt. His injuries make him a bit of a risky bet in fantasy baseball leagues but one that’s still worth taking if you don’t expect a full season of playing time.

He’s turned a corner, per Elias, but this oblique injury popped up three weeks ago. It’s not expected to impact his status for Opening Day at this time. This shouldn’t impact Westburg’s fantasy stock too much from where we sit today, but as we learned with Gunnar Henderson last Spring Training, sometimes the lingering injuries do indeed linger.

Westburg made Yanks’ starter Will Warren pay for an 0-2 sweeper that inexplicably caught too much of the plate and sent it exactly one row deep in the left field stands. He had two other base hits in this game as well while he tries to end what’s been an inconsistent season for him – mostly due to a few trips to the injured list – on a high note.