Orioles’ Mounting Injury Concerns Put Spotlight on Training and Medical Staff
It’s becoming harder and harder to tell the story of the 2025 Baltimore Orioles without mentioning injuries. This season has been defined as much by who isn’t on the field as by who is. From franchise cornerstone Adley Rutschman missing extended time, to Félix Bautista suffering yet another season-ending injury, to what feels like a revolving door of outfielders landing on the shelf, injuries have been the underlying thread tying the Orioles’ underperformance together.
The trend continued last week when Jordan Westburg was placed back on the injured list with a right ankle sprain and Brandon Young joined him with a left hamstring strain. For Westburg, this marked his second trip to the IL in 2025. Young’s placement was more notable from a broader perspective it pushed the Orioles’ total to 28 players who have landed on the injured list at some point this season. At present, they’re carrying 14 players on the major league IL, an astonishing number for a team trying to stay afloat in a competitive division.
Injuries Are Part of the Game But This Feels Different
Baseball is, by its very nature, a sport that wears on the body. Between the violent torque pitchers generate with every delivery, the repetitive strain of daily routines, and the long grind of a 162-game season, injuries are unavoidable. Every club knows this and builds depth accordingly.
But what separates the average team from the 2025 Orioles is the sheer volume of ailments and the range of players affected. While some were expected veteran outfielder Tyler O’Neill has a long track record of struggling to stay healthy others have come as a genuine shock. The most surprising case has been Rutschman. Before this season, he had never once been placed on the injured list. In 2025, he’s landed there twice, significantly hindering the Orioles’ ability to build around their franchise catcher.
A Possible Organizational Problem
When a team suffers this many injuries in such a short span, it’s only natural to wonder if something deeper is at play. Questions have begun to surface about Baltimore’s medical and training staff. Are their methods up to par with the modern demands of the sport? Have they made the right investments in player health and recovery? And perhaps most importantly, is this just bad luck, or a systemic issue that needs urgent attention?
Fans have grown increasingly uneasy watching key players go down week after week, and it’s fair to ask whether the organization has done enough behind the scenes to protect its talent. Injuries don’t just hurt in the standings; they can also damage player development timelines and erode clubhouse morale.
What Comes Next for Baltimore
Despite their misfortune, the Orioles do have reasons for optimism. If players like Rutschman and Westburg can return before season’s end, they’ll at least have an opportunity to build momentum heading into 2026. The club still boasts a strong farm system and a young core with the potential to contend once healthy.
Still, simply hoping for better luck won’t be enough. This offseason, Baltimore may need to take a hard look at its training programs, medical practices, and even staffing decisions. Injuries may never be completely eliminated from the game, but the best organizations consistently find ways to minimize them and keep their stars on the field.
For a team with as much young talent as the Orioles, the stakes are high. The difference between another year of frustration and a true breakout campaign in 2026 could very well come down to whether Baltimore learns from this injury-plagued season and makes the necessary changes to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself.