Orioles' Westburg fractures hand on HBP, no timetable for return

Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg fractured his right hand when hit by a pitch during Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, manager Brandon Hyde announced, per Orioles on MASN.

There's no timetable for his return, although Hyde expressed hope that Westburg will be able to make it back before the playoffs.

Baltimore plans to recall infielder Livan Soto from Triple-A Norfolk once Westburg is placed on the injured list, a source told Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner.

Westburg was plunked by a 95-mph fastball from Toronto's Yerry Rodríguez in the fifth inning. He remained in the game to run the bases after being examined by trainers but was replaced at third base by Ramón Urías for the start of the sixth.

(Video source: MLB.com)

The injury halts what's been a breakout season for the 25-year-old, who was a first-time All-Star earlier in July. Westburg put up a .269/.317/.497 slash line with 18 homers and 58 RBIs across his first 101 games while bouncing between third base and second base defensively.

"Injuries are a part of the game. We have to pick up the pieces for him. We gotta play well," Hyde said postgame. "He's a huge part of our lineup, our culture, really everything, he's right in the middle of everything. And so, we have to have other guys kind of step up in his place and fill the void."

Westburg was almost certainly going to play third full time down the stretch following top prospect Jackson Holliday's return to the majors Wednesday. Soto's reported call-up means that the Orioles are likely to give Urías, who won a Gold Gove at the hot corner in 2022, the majority of playing time at third going forward. Coby Mayo, the organization's No. 2 prospect, is having a great season playing third in Triple-A but is not on the 40-man roster.

Despite losing Westburg, the Orioles beat the Blue Jays 10-4 to maintain a half-game lead on the New York Yankees atop the AL East.