BOSTON—Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg, who fractured his right hand when he was hit by a pitch on July 31st, is eager to return to the lineup, and he should begin swinging a bat soon.
“I’m happy with how it’s progressing,” Westburg said before Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Red Sox. “Past couple days I feel like I’ve turned a little bit of a corner strength-wise. I’m able to grip some weights more and like really grasp down. It’s something I was having a problem with just putting pressure on that pinky side. But past couple days it’s felt good, so I’m encouraged by that.”
Westburg should be hitting shortly.
“Soon, hopefully. As long as I feel like I’m recovering well and it’s not getting too sore the day after some hard work, I feel like swinging should be right around the corner,” he said.
Westburg and Orioles starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, who’s on the 15-day injured list with right lat/teres discomfort, both face the challenge of time. Triple-A Norfolk’s season ends on September 22nd, and the Orioles play their final game on September 29th, putting pressure on them to get ready soon.
“That doesn’t go through my mind,” Westburg said. “I want to be ready when I’m ready. I’m certainly not gonna push my body to an uncomfortable timeframe. I’m gonna listen to my body.
“Rushing back does no good for this team if I can’t play at my best abilities. The last thing I want to do is rush back, be in pain swinging a bat, stepping in the box against some of the world’s best pitchers and wondering how am I gonna get the job done? I’d rather play a week longer and make sure when I come back I’m really helping the team.”
Manager Brandon Hyde wants his best players back on the field as soon as possible. He noted that infielder Ramón Urias, who’s on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right ankle, is ahead of schedule.
“I’m looking at the calendar,” Hyde said. “I’d love to have all those guys back as soon as possible. In Westy’s case, he’s progressing extremely well. He took ground balls out here earlier today. He threw the ball across the diamond. The hand’s getting stronger. He’s close to a hitting progression.
“We are running out of time, but some of these guys trying to get back as fast as possible, especially [Westburg and Urías]. They’re coming along nicely.”
Westburg has been with the team, working out and encouraging them during these hard times.
“Losing sucks. Morale is down when you lose, and we’ve been doing a lot of it recently,” Westburg said. “I’m not going to spare words. We haven’t been playing well in all facets of the game.
“Morale’s down a little bit. Guys, I think are searching and putting a lot of pressure on themselves to right the ship. Deep down, we all have this confidence that we’re a good ballclub. We have the pieces to make a run. We have the pieces to finish strong in the regular season. I think it just comes down to trusting ourselves, really going out there and worrying about putting a good product on the field, pitch-by-pitch really. If we get down early, who cares? We’re going to find a way.
“That needs to be the mentality, and if we’re up, then let’s step on somebody’s throat. I think right now, that’s what needs to happen as a whole. We’re supposed to be a little bit like, ‘We don’t care what the noise is. We don’t care what happens during the game, just find a way, so hopefully we can do that.”
Notes: Heston Kjerstad, who’s on the 10-day injured list with a concussion, will move his rehab assignment to Double-A Bowie, which is playing at Erie. Kjerstad played two games at High-A Aberdeen. … Reliever Jacob Webb is scheduled to pitch on Tuesday night for Triple-A Norfolk, his third rehab start. Webb’s on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.