Jul 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Baltimore Orioles third baseman Jordan Westburg (11) high-fives teammates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Question: Do you think Jordan Westburg is a lost cause for the rest of the year and probably forever? He just isn’t dependable and is really injury-prone. I say get rid of him, but nobody is going to want him, except the Orioles obviously. From: Joe Meglen
Answer: Joe, it seems possible that Jordan Westburg isn’t going to play much or at all this season. He has had three seasons where he’s often been injured, but I’m going to take the contrary view on this one.
When he’s played, he’s been very good, and he’s the player the Orioles have missed most this season.
You’re right that his trade value is down, so why not hold on to him and hope that he’ll rebound this year or next? He’s very talented, and is a very intelligent player and person and works diligently.
If you traded him, would you get another player who could play third base as well? I don’t think so. You could try to get another player who can help out at third, but I’d hold on to Westburg.
Question: The O’s seem to have a disproportionate amount of injuries to pitchers such that you would have to believe it is their analytics and pitcher development. It is happening in the minors as well as the big club. What is going on? How is this fixed? From: Phil Cooke
Answer: Phil, according to Spotrac, the Orioles have used the injured list 15 times, third most in the majors behind only Houston and Detroit.
Other teams, including the Dodgers, Braves and Blue Jays, have used it almost as often as the Orioles.
So, it’s not just the Orioles who are getting hurt. I think pitchers are throwing the ball extremely hard and they start throwing hard at a young age, and I don’t think that’s great for long-term arm, elbow and shoulder health.
However, throwing hard is the most effective way of getting outs, and I don’t think it’s going away.
Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.
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