Jordan Westburg DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that infielder Jordan Westburg will get some repetitions at second base this spring, but he'll mostly play third base at spring training. Westburg should start out at the hot corner in 2025, with prospect Jackson Holliday opening the year as the club's primary second baseman. The 26-year-old missed time late last year due to a broken hand but impressed otherwise and earned his first career All-Star selection by hitting .264/.312/.481 with a .792 OPS, 18 home runs, 63 RBI, six stolen bases and 57 runs scored in 107 games played in his second year in the big leagues. Westburg excelled at home and against right-handers despite poor bat speed, chase rates and walk rates. Those underlying metrics could come back to cost him, but he's not a bad target in fantasy drafts as infield depth with eligibility at both second and third base.

Baltimore Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg (hand) was activated off the injured list on Sunday morning and will bat in the two-hole as the Orioles look to clinch a series victory over the Detroit Tigers. The 25-year-old infielder has been sidelined since July and should return to his usual starting spot at either second base or third base during the final week of the regular season and the postseason. Before the injury, Westburg was enjoying a nice sophomore breakout as he posted a .269/.317/.497 line with 18 home runs and six stolen bases. Under the hood he held a stellar .286 xBA and a .509 xSLG which are among the highest marks in the sport. Fantasy managers should lock the young infielder into their lineups for the remainder of the season and is worth considering in DFS this afternoon as the Tigers will be using Ty Madden as the primary option in a bullpen game.

Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias said that infielder Jordan Westburg (hand) took batting practice on the field on Tuesday and is "getting really close to returning by the end of the regular season." Infielder Ramon Urias (ankle) is on a similar timeline. Westburg is recovering from a fractured right hand, but the team isn't ruling him out to play in a minor-league rehab game before Triple-A Norfolk's season ends on Sunday. Barring a setback, the 25-year-old should be back with the O's for the final week of the regular season and for the start of the playoffs in October. It's great news for a Baltimore club that has been going with a combination of struggling rookie Coby Mayo and Emmanuel Rivera at the hot corner of late with both Westburg and Urias sidelined. Westburg had 18 homers in 101 games before his injury and should be the club's primary third baseman once he's activated.