The Baltimore Orioles entered spring training with the 10th-best odds to win the upcoming World Series, according to DraftKings Sportsbook — a reflection of their promising young core and aggressive offseason additions. Now, just over a month away from Opening Day, Baltimore faces yet another bump in the road.
The team’s starting third baseman Jordan Westburg suffered a UCL tear in his right elbow, along with a tweaked right oblique, Orioles President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias announced on Friday.
The 27-year-old joins former first overall pick Jackson Holliday as the second projected starting infielder to miss time to begin the 2026 season.
Baltimore will see its infield depth tested early, creating a prime opportunity for young corner infielder Coby Mayo to assume a larger role.
Mayo, 24, has been the subject of serious trade speculation this offseason. The blockbuster acquisition of former New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso and veteran Ryan Mountcastle remaining on the roster at first base made Mayo’s path to consistent playing time seem narrow. It didn’t help Mayo’s cause that the Orioles were active in the market for a starting pitcher.
Now, after the recent development of Westburg’s potentially season-ending injury, the front office and fans alike can rejoice at the team’s decision to hold onto the Florida native through the offseason.
Mayo first made his major league debut back in August 2024 and has seen his role constantly shift in his short time as a big leaguer.
The 2020 fourth-round selection started his 2025 major league action after a brief stint with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, a scenario many thought possible this season after the acquisition of Alonso.
If they weren’t already, all bets of a minor league start are off.
In all likelihood, Mayo will open Baltimore’s season as the starting third baseman, a position at which he possesses little major league experience.
That, however, is not causing the former top prospect to shy away from the opportunity with Westburg sidelined.
“I think that’s kind of why you stay ready,” Mayo told the Baltimore Sun on Friday. “You do all the work in the offseason and in spring training, just in case something freakish happens.”
Mayo started just three games at third base during the 2025 season, gathering the bulk of his experience at the position from his time in Baltimore’s minor league system. He manned third base in 72.6% of his minor league starts.
With a 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame, Mayo was promoted to the majors to play first base, at position which he is much better suited to play defensively. He recorded zero defensive runs saved in 586.1 innings at first compared to his -4 defensive runs saved in 87 innings at third base.
In an effort to strengthen Mayo’s ability at both corners of the infield, the team has given him a heavy workload at third base throughout the offseason. The former University of Florida commit has worked closely with Orioles third base coach Buck Britton through the spring.
“He’s a great defender for his size and his body type,” Elias said. “He’s got a ton of arm strength and he’s a natural infielder.”
Through the opening games of spring training, Mayo has started at third base in both of his appearances, a potential indication of Elias and company’s plans come March 26.
Questions about his defensive ability aside, Mayo’s flashes of offensive firepower should not go unnoticed.
In the month of September 2025, Mayo hit five home runs and drove in eight runs on a .301 batting average.
His late-season surge offered Orioles fans a glimpse into what made him a top prospect for the team two years ago. As he continues to develop, Mayo has proven he can be a competent hitter in Baltimore’s star-studded lineup.
And that’s all they need him to be: competent.
The 24-year-old still has work to do, however, after ranking 30th in strikeout percentage among major league hitters with at least 250 plate appearances. Mayo’s .217 batting average to finish the 2025 season also ranked 16th among Orioles hitters.
But, that’s what development is for.
If Mayo can replicate anything close to his September stint, Manager Craig Albernaz may have trouble keeping the youngster out of the everyday lineup.
“The intensity, the focus to detail, the attention to detail, has been outstanding with him,” Albernaz said on Friday.
Should the team feel Mayo is not quite ready to start at the “hot corner” of the infield, the Orioles have other routes they can pursue to fill Westburg’s position.
Utility man Jeremiah Jackson, who posted a .276 average during the 2025 season, remains a reputable option on the roster. Baltimore has non-roster invitee Weston Wilson and claimed 23-year-old third baseman Bryan Ramos off of waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, both of whom have at least two years of major league experience under their belts. The team also acquired infielder Blaze Alexander from the Arizona Diamondbacks early in February, who has made 47.8% of his career major league starts at third base.
While the Orioles don’t exactly have eye-catching depth at the position, alternative routes to Mayo do exist, should they prove necessary.
Despite the shallowness of the room and Mayo’s familiarity with Baltimore’s system, nothing is guaranteed for the 24-year-old. He will have to seize the opportunity that awaits him as spring training progresses, something that the organization as a whole believes he can do.
“I think he’s in a really good spot,” Elias said on Friday. “He looks better than ever so far, and we want to keep watching him.”
