The Baltimore Orioles may be without third baseman Jordan Westburg for the rest of the season.
Westburg left Wednesday’s 10-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays early after he was hit in the hand by a pitch. Blue Jays pitcher Yerry Rodríguez threw a 95 mph fastball that went up and inside and drilled Westburg directly in his right hand in the fifth inning at Camden Yards, which sent Westburg spinning around and shaking his hand clearly in pain.
Though he remained in the game to run the bases, Westburg was replaced defensively and did not return to the game.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde confirmed after the game that Westburg broke his hand. Though he hopes that Westburg can return by the end of the regular season, he didn’t have a specific timeline.
“They just X-rayed it,” Hyde said, via ESPN. “How it heals and those type of things is way beyond my expertise.
“He’s a huge part of our lineup, our culture, really everything. He’s right in the middle of everything.”
The Orioles have 53 games left in the regular season. That leaves Westburg about six-to-eight weeks to recover if he wants to be able to make it back for the last few regular season series before the playoffs get started.
Westburg, who made his MLB debut last season with the Orioles, was named to his first All-Star team earlier this summer. The 25-year-old is batting .269 and has 58 RBI with 18 home runs in 100 games this season with Baltimore.
Despite losing Westburg, the Orioles flew ahead to the six run win thanks largely to a Jackson Holliday grand slam — which came immediately after Westburg landed on base in the fifth inning.
The win pushed the Orioles to 65-44 on the season, which is good for a half-game lead over the New York Yankees for first in the AL East. Baltimore, which has won four of its last five games, will open a four-game road series against the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.
