The Orioles have had a rough start to the season to say the least, but they’ve finally begun to turn things around with seven wins in their last eight games. That still leaves them at 26-37 overall and 7.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, giving them long odds of actually fighting their way back into the playoff conversation this year. With that being said, their battered lineup does appear to be on the verge of getting some notable reinforcements. The first of those, as relayed Rich Dubroff off Baltimore Baseball, figures to be infielder Jordan Westburg.
Westburg was an All-Star last year amid a breakout campaign where he slashed an excellent .264/.312/.481 with a wRC+ of 125 as the Orioles’ primary third baseman. He collected 2.8 fWAR in just 107 games last year, posting an impressive season despite the fact that a hand fracture kept him out for much of the second half. That strong campaign led to some big expectations for him headed into his age-26 campaign, but he posted a somewhat middling .217/.265/.391 (86 wRC+) across 98 plate appearances this year before he was sidelined in April by a hamstring strain.
Despite his mediocre performance in that small sample early in the season, the Orioles will surely be delighted to have Westburg back, which Dubroff notes that interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters is “likely” to happen this coming Tuesday. Orioles third basemen are collectively hitting just .243/.303/.305 (76 wRC+) so far this season, a figure that even Westburg’s lackluster start to the season would easily clear to say nothing of his 2024 performance. Ramon Urias has been tasked with serving in a regular role at the position since his own return from the injured list, and while his numbers are about league average overall he’s looked miscast (78 wRC+) in a regular role since returning from the IL. Perhaps Westburg’s return and Urias’s move back into a part-time role can add another quality regular to the lineup while also allowing Urias to be more impactful off the bench going forward.
Also expected back in the relatively near future is center fielder Cedric Mullins, who Dubroff relays Mansolino expects back in the lineup during the club’s coming homestand, which runs from June 10 to June 15. While that wording seems to imply he’ll be back more towards the end of this coming week, the return of Mullins will still be a welcome boost for the Orioles. His time on the injured list has caused a downgrade for the club…
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