With third baseman Jordan Westburg sidelined by a partial UCL tear and second baseman Jackson Holliday recovering from hamate surgery, Baltimore’s infield depth has taken a serious hit before the season even starts. The front office moved quickly to add a familiar face in veteran infielder Thairo Estrada.
This move is low-cost but carries real weight for a team chasing playoff goals. Estrada brings versatility, experience, and production to multiple positions. Baltimore needed a steady veteran option and found one in a player who knows how to fight hard for a spot on any major league roster.
Let’s take a closer look.
Westburg’s elbow setback shakes the infield
The injury emerged after Westburg reported soreness during throwing drills while rehabbing a right oblique strain. The Orioles sent him to Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles, who confirmed the partial tear. Westburg received a PRP injection on February 20 and will miss at a minimum the entire month of April.
The timing is painful for Baltimore. Westburg is just 27 and a career .264 hitter with genuine pop and strong range at third base. Losing him before Opening Day puts real pressure on younger options and forces the front office to look hard at available veteran depth on the market.
The PRP route and what it means
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a non-surgical approach that promotes healing using the patient’s own blood. The Orioles and Westburg chose this route over Tommy John surgery, which typically sidelines position players for at least six months. The hope is that rest and the injection will allow Westburg to return sometime after April ends.
The risk remains real. If the PRP fails, Westburg could need surgery and miss most of 2026. Orioles president Mike Elias was clear that the timeline beyond April is still uncertain. The team is holding steady, banking on conservative treatment to eventually get their starting third baseman back and fully healthy.
Holliday is already out, and now Westburg too
Jackson Holliday had surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist on February 6, 2026. Losing Westburg on top of that means Baltimore will open 2026 missing two of their projected starting infielders. That is a tough spot for any team entering a competitive AL East race.
Former top prospect Coby Mayo is expected to handle third base while Westburg heals. Blaze Alexander is among the top candidates to hold second base during the early weeks. Baltimore is leaning on young players to fill the gaps while their veteran starters work their way back to full health.
Who is Thairo Estrada?
Born on February 22, 1996, in Bejuma, Venezuela, Estrada signed with the New York Yankees as an international free agent in 2012. He made his major league debut with New York in 2019 before being traded to San Francisco in 2021. The Giants are where he truly found his footing as an everyday player.
It was with the Giants that Estrada established himself as a reliable major league contributor. San Francisco gave him regular playing time, and he responded with the best offensive seasons of his career. He went from a depth piece competing for a bench spot to a genuine everyday contributor valued throughout the organization.
Fun fact: Estrada was shot in early 2018 during a robbery and played parts of that season with a bullet still lodged in his hip. His resilience off the field is just as remarkable as the grit he shows between the lines every day.
His best years with San Francisco
In 2022, Estrada hit .260 with 14 home runs and 21 steals while leading the Giants in several key offensive areas. He followed with another strong 14-homer campaign in 2023, slashing .271 across 120 games. Those two seasons proved he could produce big numbers when given a true everyday role.
His combined slash line is .266/.319/.408 across 2022 and 2023, with 28 homers and 44 stolen bases, made him one of the most underrated infielders in the league. San Francisco’s coaching staff praised his clutch hitting and improved plate discipline as key reasons why the team leaned on him heavily throughout those two productive years.
Fun fact: In 2023, Estrada was voted the Willie Mac Award winner by the Giants organization, an honor given to the player who best embodies the competitive spirit and leadership of Hall of Famer Willie McCovey.
The Baltimore deal and what he brings
Estrada turned 30 just one day before the deal was announced. His minor league contract gives the Orioles a veteran safety net without using a 40-man roster spot.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz served as San Francisco’s bullpen coach during Estrada’s best years with the Giants. That familiarity clearly influenced the decision to bring him aboard. Albernaz called Estrada a gritty competitor and described him as a tough out who knows how to put the ball in play consistently.
His versatility is the real value
Estrada has logged time at second base, shortstop, third base, and in the outfield, most often in left field with occasional appearances in center. That flexibility is extremely valuable when injuries disrupt a depth chart. Baltimore can move him around the diamond depending on who is healthy and available at any point early in the season.
In 508 career major league games, Estrada carries a .251/.299/.392 batting line with 51 home runs and 53 stolen bases. His contact rate is above average, and his strikeout numbers have stayed manageable throughout his career. For a non-roster invitee fighting for a bench role, those are genuinely useful and respectable offensive numbers.
TL;DR
- The Orioles signed Thairo Estrada to a minor league deal on February 23, 2026, with a spring training invite.
- Third baseman Jordan Westburg was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear and will miss at least all of April.
- Jackson Holliday is also out recovering from hamate surgery, leaving Baltimore short two projected starters before Opening Day.
- Estrada, 30, hit 14 home runs in both 2022 and 2023 with San Francisco and has experience at second, short, third, and the outfield.
This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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