The Orioles suffered a major injury setback to an All-Star on Wednesday when infielder Jordan Westburg fractured his right hand.
Westburg, who splits time between third base and second base and is a regular in the heart of the order, was hit by a 95.2 mph fastball from Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Yerry Rodríguez. Westburg ran the bases and scored on second baseman Jackson Holliday’s grand slam, but he was removed for Ramón Urías at third base.
X-rays showed the broken hand, manager Brandon Hyde said, and there isn’t a timetable for Westburg’s return. The Orioles hope the 25-year-old is back by the end of the regular season.
“All-Star player. Injuries are a part of the game. We have to pick up the pieces for him,” Hyde said. “We’ve got to play well. He’s a huge part of our lineup, our culture, really everything. He’s right in the middle of everything. We have to have other guys kind of step up in his place and fill the void.”
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
Westburg is hitting .269 with an .814 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
With Westburg sidelined, the Orioles are planning to call up recently acquired utilityman Livan Soto, two sources told The Baltimore Banner. The 24-year-old has a .280 average and .754 OPS in Triple-A.
Read More
The Orioles claimed Soto twice earlier in the year, and each time he spent less than a week with the organization. Soto, who can slot in at second base, shortstop and third base, played one game with the Reds this year and went hitless in three at-bats.
This was the second time this week a Blue Jays pitcher injured an Orioles player. On Monday, in the first game of a doubleheader, catcher James McCann suffered a broken nose when a pitch sailed up and in. McCann is playing through the injury, wearing a protective mask while batting.
“It’s unfortunate,” Hyde said. “We’re not the only team that’s getting hit. People are getting hit around the league. Lack of command is pretty apparent with pitchers right now.”
The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.
The Orioles recently optioned infielder Terrin Vavra, and he could have returned as an injury replacement. Mayo was another option. Mayo is hitting .293 with a .944 OPS for the Tides.
“It’s unbelievable. Everyone is so astonished by his power, but he’s a good hitter,” Holliday said. “Just a good hitter. He’s hitting like .300 in Triple-A. It’s a big-time bat and he’s got a hell of an arm and I know how hard he works, and if they need to call on him to play third, he’ll be able to do it.”
Comments
Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines.