More on Eflin's trip to the injured list, Westburg updates his recovery from broken hand

NEW YORK – The number of pitchers on the Orioles injured list has grown to eight, including five starters.

Health issues are prevalent throughout baseball, and the Orioles are maintaining their status as shining and painful examples of it. Seemingly at every turn.

Zach Eflin is experiencing some inflammation in his right shoulder that landed him on the 15-day injured list this afternoon. He was supposed to take the ball for Wednesday afternoon’s series finale against the Mets.

The move is retroactive to Saturday.

“Hopefully it’s just short term,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “After his start his shoulder was a little bit sore. It had been getting better the last few days, and so we were kind of hopeful, but also a little bit concerned about it. He had to make the start tomorrow and had him come out and throw a little bit today. We just feel like the right thing to do right now is to give him a little bit extra time with the shoulder.

“We’re optimistic that he’s gonna be able to not miss much time after the IL, if any. But yeah, it’s a big loss. He’s pitched great for us, but hopefully we’ll have him in September.”

Hyde said Eflin isn’t scheduled for additional testing on the shoulder. When the soreness subsides, the Orioles can proceed with the next course of action.

Eflin joins Félix Bautista, Kyle Bradish, John Means, Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez, Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb on the injured list. Bautista, Bradish, Means and Wells won’t return this season.

“We’ve had our share, there’s no doubt,” Hyde said. “You hate to lose pitching right now, and Zach’s been everything we asked and more since we’ve gotten him in the trade deadline. And I know he’s really disappointed. He was hoping to make that start tomorrow. But we feel like, just give him a little bit of time off and he’ll be back out there for us.”

All four of Eflin’s outings with the Orioles have resulted in quality starts, with a total of six runs allowed in 26 1/3 innings. He’s the first Orioles pitcher to win his first four starts without making a relief appearance. Ben McDonald won five in a row in 1990 after 12 games out of the bullpen to begin his major league career.

Hyde dismissed Corbin Burnes as a candidate to start Wednesday, though the veteran would be working on regular rest. Rookie Cade Povich was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk today, with Eflin's injury making him eligible for an earlier return, but he started Saturday.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said recently that Norfolk’s Brandon Young is “on the radar screen,” but the right-hander pitched two days ago.

Left-hander Cole Irvin hasn’t pitched since Wednesday and is a viable candidate. The Orioles would need to put him back on the 40-man roster and make a corresponding move.

Asked about the possibility of a bullpen game, Hyde said, “Everything’s in play for tomorrow. I’m not really sure at this point.”

The Mets are waiting for the Orioles after Francisco Alvarez’s walk-off home run last night. They won’t hesitate to kick a team when it’s down. That’s how it works.

“We got pretty fortunate the last couple years, and this year we’re getting hit with the injury bug a little bit,” Hyde said. “It happens, and so we’ve got to keep going. The games aren’t gonna stop and wait for guys. We’ve got to have guys step up. Other teams are having similar issues that we’re having, also. Hopefully we can get these guys back healthy in September, a few of them at least, and keep going.”

Meanwhile, Jordan Westburg just wants to feel like a ballplayer again.

The simplest tasks are getting him there.

Westburg is taking ground balls and one-handed swings – “very stationary stuff,”  as he called it – while recovering from a fractured right hand. He can remove the brace, which reveals a wrap underneath.

“Out on the field, moving around a little bit ,” Westburg said this afternoon at his locker. “I’m just happy to be doing some baseball stuff. It gets a little boring sitting on the sidelines, so I’m happy that things are coming along.”

Westburg sustained the injury on July 31 when hit by Toronto’s Yerry Rodríguez in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jackson Holliday followed with a grand slam onto Eutaw Street.

An MRI revealed the break and Westburg remains on the 10-day injured list with a chance to return in late September.

“I’m not gonna speak to the timeline yet,” he said. “I know there’s still some more imaging to be done. I’m gonna let the people making those decisions and the doctors make that call. I’m gonna push as hard as I can to be back as soon as I can, but I want to be healthy. I don’t think rushing back and getting on the field and compensating or not being able to play at 100 percent is gonna help this team.”

Westburg is willing to remain patient through the process, though he doesn’t have much choice.

“It can be hard sometimes but I said it right when it happened, I was gonna set my attitude early on this and not choose to be down and not choose to be frustrated about timing or circumstances or whatever. Choose to believe this happened for a reason.

“It’s part of baseball. You see it everywhere. Austin Riley just had a fractured hand and he’s out of the year. So you’re not the only one. I want to be here for these guys. I’m happy that they’re letting me travel with the team, I’m happy that I can be in the dugout and try to provide some energy anyway I can. I’m not the rah-rah guy, but I kind of want to be now. I’m gonna set my attitude, like I said. I’m gonna go about my work every single day. I’m gonna trust the healing process, trust my body, trust the doctors, trust our training staff, and try to get back out there as soon as I can.”

The injury deprives the Orioles of a second baseman and third baseman who hits to all fields, is batting .269/.317/.497 with 25 doubles, five triples, 18 home runs and 58 RBIs in 101 games and made the All-Star team in his first full season.

He’s expected back but the Orioles can’t pinpoint a date.

"Still got a cast on his hand, so he’s got to be re-X-rayed and it’s a progression from there," Hyde said.