The Baltimore Orioles called up infield prospect Jordan Westburg on Monday, the team announced.
Westburg, who bats right-handed, will play second base and is batting seventh on Monday night when Baltimore hosts the Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s been a whirlwind of a day,” Westburg said Monday. “I’m excited to be here and ready to get going.”
Infielder Joey Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move.
The 24-year-old is hitting .295 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in 67 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season.
“We just felt like he was ready to help impact our team,” manager Brandon Hyde said Monday.
Hyde said Westburg would generally play second and third.
“I think it’s going to be not set in stone every night,” Hyde said. “Great part about it is we’re getting to the part of summer where guys that need a break, and with the amount of talent that we have on our roster, I think that that’s going to be fantastic — to be able to move guys around a little bit.”
He entered the year ranked No. 66 among the top 100 prospects in baseball, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
Infielder Joey Ortiz — No. 71 in McDaniel’s rankings — was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Monday in a corresponding move.
Westburg was the 30th overall pick by Baltimore in the 2020 MLB draft out of Mississippi State.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: www.espn.com