Frustrated 27-Year-Old Baltimore Orioles Star Opens Up on Mental Toll After Ominous Injury Threatens Season
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Feb 23, 2026 | 6:00 AM CST
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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins Apr 6, 2024 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz 55 walks to the dugout after meeting with the umpires before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Minneapolis Target Field Minnesota USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMattxBlewettx 20240406_tcs_tj3_251
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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins Apr 6, 2024 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz 55 walks to the dugout after meeting with the umpires before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Minneapolis Target Field Minnesota USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMattxBlewettx 20240406_tcs_tj3_251
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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins Apr 6, 2024 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz 55 walks to the dugout after meeting with the umpires before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Minneapolis Target Field Minnesota USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMattxBlewettx 20240406_tcs_tj3_251
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MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins Apr 6, 2024 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz 55 walks to the dugout after meeting with the umpires before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Minneapolis Target Field Minnesota USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMattxBlewettx 20240406_tcs_tj3_251
Jordan Westburg just wants to play! But he can’t seem to catch a break from injuries that keep coming one after another. Westburg has had enough — physically and mentally.
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Westburg was already sidelined during Spring Training because of an oblique injury. But his newly discovered UCL tear dashed his hopes of playing on Opening Day. The infielder will be missing in action for the Baltimore Orioles through the end of April.
While speaking to reporters about his recent injury, Westburg expressed how his prolonged setback has also taken a toll on his mental well-being.
According to MLB.com’s Jake Rill, Westburg said, “You can imagine how frustrating and disappointing it is, but at the same time, like, what am I going to do about it? I do feel like I was doing everything the right way, or to the best of my knowledge, the right way. And these things are still happening.”
Jordan Westburg: “You can imagine how frustrating and disappointing it is, but at the same time, like, what am I going to do about it? I do feel like I was doing everything the right way, or to the best of my knowledge the right way. And these things are still happening.”
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) February 22, 2026
Westburg’s UCL tear comes after a long list of injuries that have been plaguing him since his MLB debut in 2023. At 27, he has been on the injured list twice because of left hamstring pain and a right ankle strain. He also missed multiple games due to a left index finger strain.
Considering Westburg was not as injury-prone during his minor league days, his frustration with the situation now is understandable. If possible, Westburg would have wrapped himself up in “bubble wrap” or a “bulletproof” jacket to prevent further injuries.
Westburg said, “So, I mean, there are doubts. But I’m going to do my best to see what avenues I can go down to maybe help bulletproof my body a little bit more. I don’t know if there’s a way to do that, but like, I’m going to try, you know?”
In his debut year, Westburg played 85 games for the Baltimore Orioles, followed by 107 games in 2024 and only 85 games in 2025. 2024 was his best year, as he averaged .264 with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs before he got injured. His injury struggles began in 2024 when his right hand was fractured after being hit by a pitch. At that time, he missed almost two months of play.
Westburg’s frustration came to the forefront when he said to the media, “That’s another frustrating part of this. I do feel like I was able to stay healthy and play through a lot of things. And to an extent, I did the past couple of years, still playing through things that weren’t disclosed and weren’t announced. Some of these major ones, you just can’t play through.”
To deal with his current UCL tear, the Orioles infielder has received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection. Westburg and the franchise are banking on this injection to work so that he can return to play without surgery.
Even if the injection works, Westburg will miss the entire month of April. However, if the PRP injection does not heal the tear, surgery would be his only option, with the possibility of Westburg not getting any playing time this season.
Injury and the Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles headed into Spring Training quite confidently after a successful offseason. But sudden injuries threw off their plans for the infield.
Third baseman Westburg and second baseman Jackson Holliday will both be on the injured list. Holliday is currently suffering from a broken hamate bone, while imaging revealed a torn UCL in Westburg’s elbow.
On Westburg’s injury, Craig Albernaz said to the media, “He’s getting evaluated by our medical team and also outside people to make sure we have a plan in place and see what’s going on with Jordan to get him going.”
Aside from Pete Alonso and shortstop Gunnar Henderson in the infield, Holliday and Westburg’s absence opens up space for Blaze Alexander and Coby Mayo. According to MLB.com, 25-year-old Jeremiah Jackson could also make it onto the team.
In addition to Holliday’s injury, the Orioles will feel Westburg’s absence, as he is one of their most useful hitters. But as Albernaz put it, getting him healthy and back to playing will be the Orioles’ top priority for now.