Things have not been smooth for the Baltimore Orioles this year.
After coming into the season with massive expectations they could take the next step in the playoffs following their addition of Corbin Burnes, injuries have really reduced the ceiling of what they might be able to accomplish based on who is sidelined in their starting rotation.
Even being in the race for the AL East title with the New York Yankees is a testament to how much talent is on this roster.
While much of the attention is given to their pitchers who are out for the rest of the year, the Orioles are dealing with injuries to their position players as well.
It was announced that Jorge Mateo would be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his elbow, delivering Baltimore another major blow as that takes away someone who can play multiple positions on defense and change the game with his speed.
As All-Star Jordan Westburg remains sidelined with a broken hand, the Orioles are down two of their Opening Day starting infielders.
Fortunately, they finally got some good news on the injury front.
Roch Kubatko of MASN reported the former top prospect took a huge step forward in his recovery process as he eyes returning to the field before the playoffs get underway.
“Infielder Jordan Westburg played catch today, removing the cast on his fractured right hand. He’s been taking ground balls with the hand behind his back, and he’s also is trying to return to the roster later this month,” he wrote.
That is massive.
Coming into the year, Baltimore wasn’t sure who would be their full-time third baseman after they decided Gunnar Henderson would take over the primary responsibilities at shortstop.
Westburg forced the Orioles to pencil him into the lineup virtually every day by slashing .269/.317/.497 with 18 homers, 58 RBI and an OPS+ 32 points above the league average.
Baltimore is hoping he does make his way back to the field before the season ends, giving him some time to ramp up and get adjusted to Major League pitching ahead of their journey to win a World Series title.
This will continue to be something to monitor, but removing his cast is a major step in the right direction.
