Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg was absent from Thursday’s spring training practice session, with first-year manager Craig Albernaz providing few details about when the player might return to action.
“He’s unable to participate right now,” Albernaz told reporters on Thursday. “Getting evaluated by our medical team and also outside people. See what’s going on with Jordan and get him ready to go.”
The 27-year-old player experienced tightness in his right oblique muscle during the early stages of spring training. However, Albernaz declined to confirm whether this muscle issue was the current reason for Westburg’s absence and refused to elaborate on any potential different injuries.
According to Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias, who spoke earlier this month, Westburg’s oblique problem has persisted since January.
The Baltimore Banner reported on Thursday that Westburg underwent elbow imaging, adding another layer of uncertainty to his condition.
“Just physically unable to go,” Albernaz explained. “We want to make sure we do our due diligence. Make sure Jordan has the best chance to play this year.”
Physical setbacks have plagued Westburg throughout his three-year tenure with Baltimore, who selected him as the 30th overall pick in the 2020 draft from Mississippi State University.
During the previous season, he appeared in 85 contests but spent time on the injured list for both a left hamstring problem and an ankle sprain. He also sat out portions of 2025 spring training due to back issues. In 2024, despite earning All-Star recognition and playing 107 games, he missed nearly two months after fracturing his hand.
Across 260 major league appearances, Westburg maintains a .264 batting average alongside 38 home runs and 127 runs batted in.
