Orioles promoting Westburg to majors

Jordan Westburg wasn’t in Triple-A Norfolk’s lineup this afternoon.

He’s headed to Baltimore.

An industry source confirmed that the Orioles are selecting Westburg’s contract, in time for Monday night’s series opener against the Reds at Camden Yards.

MLB Pipeline ranks Westburg as the organization’s No. 3 prospect behind infielder Jackson Holliday and outfielder Colton Cowser, and 46th in baseball.

Westburg, 24, has been pounding on the door this year, batting .295/.372/.567 with 15 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in 67 games with Norfolk. The Orioles answered before the calendar turned to July.

The club is just 4 ½ games behind the first-place Rays and owns the second-best record in the American League at 47-29.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias noted in spring training that Westburg was close to being ready. The 30^th-overall pick in 2020's draft out of Mississippi State lasted until the final cuts and batted .306/.368/.510 with five doubles, a triple and a home run.

Westburg has made 33 starts at shortstop this year, 18 at third base, six at second, five in right field and one in left.

The outfield is set in Baltimore, but Westburg could move around the infield.

Jorge Mateo doubled, scored twice and stole his 21^st base today, but he’s batting .224 with a .622 OPS. Adam Frazier has posted a .228 average and .674 OPS.

Manager Brandon Hyde has praised the middle infield defense, but shortstop and second base rank 22nd and 23rd, respectively, in the majors in OPS. And there was no motivation to keep Westburg in the minors, after he was chosen as the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2022 and kept mashing this year.

Gunnar Henderson, formerly the top prospect in baseball, can move between shortstop and third. The Orioles will find at-bats for Westburg.

A corresponding 40-man roster move is pending.

Infielder Joey Ortiz has appeared in four games this month since rejoining the Orioles, starting twice and going 0-for-6. He could be optioned. But someone will need to come off the 40-man.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the Westburg news.

Passan also tweeted that Westburg will be in Monday’s lineup.