The Orioles continue to get the band back together with a week to go in the regular season.
On the cusp of clinching a playoff berth, Baltimore welcomed back two more pieces with the activation of infielders Jordan Westburg and Ramon Urias from the injured list on Sunday. Both were in the starting lineup for the series finale against Detroit with Westburg batting second and playing second base and Urias manning third base and hitting eighth.
After going 4-for-10 with a home run and double in three rehab games with Triple-A Norfolk, Westburg, 25, returned to the Orioles lineup for the first time since sustaining a fractured right hand on July 31. The 2024 All-Star infielder was having an excellent first full season in the majors before the injury with a .269 batting average, 18 home runs, 48 total extra-base hits, 58 runs batted in, and an .815 on-base plus slugging percentage in 420 plate appearances.
Urias was concluding his best month of the season when he sprained his right ankle on Aug. 31, which landed him on the IL for three weeks. After his 3-for-9 rehab stint with Norfolk, the 30-year-old returned Sunday batting .252 with 10 homers, 35 RBIs, and a .754 OPS for the 2024 season.
The Orioles activated two key members of their bullpen this past week with lefty Danny Coulombe and right-hander Jacob Webb returning from elbow injuries. Baltimore is also expected to activate Ryan Mountcastle (left wrist sprain) in the coming days with the first baseman playing a third straight rehab game with Norfolk on Sunday afternoon.
It remains to be seen when — or if — starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez will return as the right-hander continues working his way back from a right lat strain suffered in early August. Rodriguez has been throwing bullpen sessions, but he had yet to face live hitters as of Saturday. With the postseason beginning in just over a week, general manager Mike Elias recently acknowledged the Orioles were running out of time to build up Rodriguez for a potential postseason role as a starter.
