Orioles' Jordan Westburg 'physically unable to participate' at O's camp after partial UCL tear, Mlb Opening Day implications

Jordan Westburg will be sidelined through at least April after sustaining a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, the Orioles' baseball operations president said Friday, and the team plans a platelet-rich plasma injection as it seeks to avoid surgical repair. The development removes a key infielder from the club's spring preparations with immediate consequences for the mlb club's Opening Day infield composition.

Mlb: What happened and what’s new

Confirmed facts: The Orioles announced that Westburg has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be out through at least April. The team said he will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection on Friday, with the hope of avoiding either an internal brace procedure or Tommy John surgery. Team leadership noted Westburg was not on the field for a spring training workout on Thursday, and the first-year manager stated that Westburg is "unable to participate right now" without addressing the specific cause of his absence in that moment.

Additional confirmed background from the club: Westburg experienced right-side oblique tightness early in spring training that dates to January, per the operations president. His recent availability has been limited by a series of prior injuries that have affected his seasons in Baltimore.

Behind the headline

Context and incentives: The team is pursuing a platelet-rich plasma injection as an early, non-surgical intervention intended to promote healing and possibly avert more invasive options. That calculus reflects a desire to preserve Westburg's availability for the season if feasible, while recognizing the risk that more significant surgical treatment could be required if conservative measures fail.

Stakeholders and leverage:

• Jordan Westburg: faces a recovery path that will determine his availability and could shape his role with the club in the near term.
• Team leadership and medical staff: must balance short-term competitiveness against long-term health outcomes, choosing between rehab, internal bracing, or surgery based on how Westburg responds.
• Manager and roster decision-makers: will need contingency plans for the infield given Westburg's absence and the concurrent expected absence of another starting infielder due to wrist surgery.

What we still don’t know

• Whether the platelet-rich plasma injection will be sufficient to avoid an internal brace or Tommy John surgery.
• Exact expected return date beyond the current statement that Westburg will be out through at least April.
• How the oblique tightness that began in January interacts with the elbow injury in terms of overall readiness and rehab timeline.
• Which roster moves the club will make immediately to replace Westburg on the active roster or Opening Day infield.

What happens next

• PRP succeeds and Westburg returns by or shortly after April: Trigger—evidence of healing in follow-up examinations and clearance by medical staff.
• PRP insufficient, leading to an internal brace procedure: Trigger—persistent structural instability or continued symptoms after conservative treatment.
• PRP fails and Tommy John surgery becomes necessary: Trigger—diagnostic findings or clinical course indicating surgery as the only viable option.
• Extended conservative rehab pushes recovery timeline beyond early season: Trigger—slow response to injection and progressive rehab milestones not being met.
• Immediate roster adjustments: Trigger—the team naming replacements on the active roster in response to Westburg's unavailability and the concurrent absence of another starting infielder due to surgery.

Why it matters

Practical impact: Westburg's absence removes a regular contributor from the Orioles' infield mix and forces the club to adjust personnel and playing time early in the season. Given Westburg's history of injuries that interrupted past seasons, the club's handling of this elbow injury will affect lineup construction and infield depth. For the mlb team, losing half of its projected Opening Day starting infield creates immediate roster and strategy decisions, while the chosen medical pathway will shape whether the player can return quickly or requires a long-term surgical solution.

Near-term implications include how the manager allocates defensive roles and how the medical staff monitors response to the injection; longer-term outcomes hinge on whether the conservative approach forestalls or postpones surgical intervention.