The Orioles have still not yet gotten one of the key parts of their Plan A on the infield in the 2026 season. Now, we know that they never will. The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka reported on Friday afternoon that Westburg has decided to undergo surgery to repair the partially-torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, ending his hopes of coming back this season. The news is not official as of this writing as the team has not confirmed the decision.
This was the outcome that always seemed obvious from the moment that we started hearing about elbow pain for Westburg. Lest it be forgotten, elbow pain wasn’t even his original problem: He had oblique soreness at the beginning of spring training and it was only when he was rehabbing that other injury that the severity of the ongoing elbow pain became known.
Westburg and the Orioles chose a path involving a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection, rest, and rehab, rather than going for the surgery immediately. The path does not have a high percentage chance of success in avoiding surgery for MLB players. It’s all too easy to demand major surgery on someone else’s elbow, though. I don’t hold the caution against anyone who tries that. Still, no surprise here. As Westburg’s throwing progression was ramping up, the pain returned.
Only time will tell how much this two month delay in getting the surgery affects Westburg’s readiness for the 2027 season. If his recovery is on the smoother side, it’s possible he could be back to full readiness, or darn close to that point, by Opening Day 2027. If it’s not on the smoother side, the pessimistic timetable might involve Westburg not being able to man a position in the field until around Memorial Day of next season.
It is hard to say that they should build a roster plan for the start of the season that assumes Westburg will be in it. This would have been an easier fit if he had gotten the surgery in March. Instead, this will be an unknown until probably the start of spring training next year, when the GM’s standard first day of camp injury update will indicate where Westburg is in his recovery.
Things just aren’t going well without Westburg this year. He was going to be the regular third baseman. Orioles third basemen are hitting a combined .182/.264/.259 so far this season. That sucks. Third base defense rates as their worst position in Outs Above Average, contributing to the Orioles being a bottom 5 defensive team in the league. Westburg was the answer to both of these things. He can’t play. They’ll have to find a way to do better than this without him.
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